


The Warriors of Calamity

by 46hasu



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Age of Calamity, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Everyone else is the same, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hero Zelda, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Not A Fix-It, Prince Link (Legend of Zelda), Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27640780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/46hasu/pseuds/46hasu
Summary: As the kingdom of Hyrule prepares for their destiny against the Great Calamity Ganon, a mysterious time-traveling guardian appears with a goal in mind: to save the Prince of Hyrule and change history.Age of Calamity role reversal AU with Hero Zelda and Prince Link.
Relationships: Daruk & Link & Mipha & Revali & Urbosa & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda & Impa (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Mipha/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 65
Kudos: 161





	1. A Cry

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! As soon as Age of Calamity was announced I knew I had to try writing some good role reversal for Link and Zelda in the game's settings. I certainly hope I will be able to update this regularly but I hope you manage to enjoy this work no matter my update schedule.

You couldn’t see the sky with all the ash and smoke. 

The ancient machines that were once created to protect the people have turned against them. Screams that filled the air were simply quieted from a quick laser beam. 

Yet, one was heard among the chaos—a desperate cry to save the dearest beloved. 

_“No!”_

The golden light of the Goddess answered the call and one more. 

The little guardian didn’t know what was happening. All it heard was chaos and destruction. 

It kicked open the lid, freeing itself from its little prison. What was happening? How long has it been put away?

It climbed up the cluttered desk, hoping to see the outside world from the window. It would have gasped if it could. 

The only source of light in the darkness was the fires set upon the town below. Malice covered the ground more than the dirt and cement, along with mangled corpses.

 _“I must protect...everyone!”_

There was no time to gape at the horror. The little guardian had a wish to grant. 

Music sounded through the air, its tune quiet and muted. But it still rang clear as the portal opened in white blinding light. 

The door to the small study fell away in a loud explosion, sending rubble flying. The little guardian risked a glance back to meet a glaring red laser. 

It let out a squeak of fear and jumped through the portal, unaware of what followed after it. 

Its only thoughts were the Knight Who Seals the Darkness, the Prince with the Blood of Goddess, and saving the kingdom of Hyrule. 

A tale of Champions, a diminutive Guardian that traveled through time, and a Great Calamity they faced. History was rewritten and fate has been changed in the kingdom of Hyrule.


	2. Battle of Hyrule Field

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick, the only characters with the role swap are Link and Zelda because I felt that swapping more characters would change the plot way too much and would drive me insane. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

King Rhoam of Hyrule was known as the Defier of Prophecy. 

Zelda couldn’t help but scoff a little at the pompous title. Who in Hyrule wasn’t trying to defy the prophecy that called for Hyrule’s doom?

But she was a loyal knight to the kingdom of Hyrule. That included the throne as well. So despite the ludicrous title, she was expected to keep a straight face as the King walked forward to greet the soldiers. 

Even if Zelda scoffed at the theatrical display, she can’t say the speech wasn’t rousing. King Rhoam’s call of arms had reminded her why she had followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a knight.

The warnings of the monsters on the castle doorstep were no exaggeration. Zelda had never seen so many in one place in all her life. She couldn’t even recall any stories of her mother that spoke of monsters on this scale. 

But she felt no fear as she thrust her sword into another monster. She was trained to kill monsters such as these with ease. Their numbers meant nothing if you were smart about it and knew your limits. 

Her captain yelled orders above the din of chaos. She looked up to find a great moblin swinging its bat around. Now moblins were dumb as bricks, but if you weren’t careful, a well-timed hit from its weapon could mean a long stay in the healers’ room. 

Zelda rushed forward, keeping her footsteps light and steady as she dodged the monster’s clumsy swing. She let herself smile as it tried and failed to raise its weapon from the ground, leaving its back wide open. 

_Too easy._

It took one well-placed strike from her broadsword to make the monster vanish into a puff of smoke. Zelda was already moving on to her next fight as she heard a cheer. 

Her captain yelled something again. Strangely it wasn’t an order this time. She strained her ears to hear what he was saying as she dodged a bokoblin’s strike. 

Something about the Prince’s attendant being caught in the battle: Zelda made a quick kill of the monster, expecting an order to rescue the attendant. 

But the King merely dismissed the captain and assured that the girl could handle herself. Despite the King’s words, Zelda couldn’t help but doubt that. Anyone that isn’t appropriately prepared for this battle can be seriously hurt.

Her thoughts were cut short as the horde of bokoblins turned their eyes on her. Well, there was nothing she could do but her best right now. Perhaps she can offer aid to the attendant if she falls within her sights. 

She cut through the horde of monsters with grit teeth. Stories of war were often exaggerations for glory. Her mother had warned her of that before Zelda had been sent away. No one speaks of how your throat burns and how your mind whirls with the only thought to _Survive! Survive! Survive!_ Even with monsters as idiotic and straightforward as these, being in the wrong place at the wrong time or staying still for too long meant defeat. 

The last of the bokoblins fell with a hideous screech. As she watched it fall, Zelda slowly let herself exhale, swallowing her saliva in hopes that it would help her fight off the building exhaustion and thirst. She slowly turned away, thinking of her next fight, when her eyes landed on something unusual. 

It was in the shape of an egg with a round blue sphere attached to its front side. It’s three legs were splayed out in tangles as it quietly dozed on the rubble. Zelda tilted her head at it. Despite her limited knowledge, she had never seen a Guardian like this before. All the ones she had seen were militaristic and overwhelming in size that screamed power. This little one could pass as a child’s plaything. 

A loud snort of a bokoblin shot her head up. A Sheikah girl was running away from the monsters, clutching something to her chest. The girl met Zelda’s eyes and immediately changed her direction. 

“You there!” She called. “Help!” 

But Zelda was already rushing forward, her sword drawn out for battle. The Sheikah girl yelped as she slipped on a piece of rubble, sending her little treasure flying through the air. 

Zelda’s reflexes were fortunately quick as she managed to snag the rectangular item mid-air, her footsteps still steady and true. 

She should target the bokoblin in the front first to scare the rest off. There was no need to waste time killing the monsters; her primary concern should be this poor girl’s safety. 

But just as she reached the girl’s side, the ground started to rumble. Zelda forced herself to a stop to steady herself as the Sheikah girl’s head whipped around in confusion. 

“Why is this happening?” the girl cried. 

Before Zelda could reply, the ground before her broke away. She covered her eyes from the dust as the earth continued to shake. She quietly counted to ten before daring to open her eyes. And her mind could not quite believe what she was seeing. 

A large tower had sprouted from the ground and was still growing as Zelda tilted her head up. Monsters screeched and fled in fear, but Zelda stupidly remained still as the tower finally came to a stop. 

“A tower?” The Sheikah murmured in amazement. “But how?” 

Zelda heard a rhythmic clicking and whirled back to find the once still guardian moving about as if brand new. Its little orb shined in bright blue, and it let out a little “toot toot” as the top part of its head moved up and down. It did look like a lost toy. 

“What is that?” the girl asked, pointing to the Guardian. 

“Do you not know of it, My Lady?” Zelda asked and silently congratulated herself for her quick thinking. If she had simply assumed this lost Sheikah was a civilian and addressed her casually, she probably would have been yelled at for blatant disrespect. Again. 

“No,” the Sheikah shook her head. “I have never seen a Guardian that looked like that before. I bet that not even my sister knows.” 

“My Lady,” Zelda interrupted as she heard more footsteps. The tower only managed to drive the monsters away for so long. “You must leave. I would be happy to escort you to safety.” 

“Thank you, but there will be no need for that, Miss …?” 

“Zelda, My Lady. Just Zelda” 

“Call me, Impa then,” she nodded. “And there is no need for that, Zelda. I would be happy to assist you in carving our way out of this battle to victory.” 

“It would be an honor, Lady Impa,” Zelda gave a customary salute. “Please don’t hesitate to request assistance.” 

“I will keep that in mind,” Impa nodded before frowning down at the little Guardian who skittered up to them, still tooting away. “But I do wonder what that is.” 

Zelda frowned down at the Guardian as well. She hadn’t thought of it. But there was something … familiar about this Guardian. But perhaps she was just mistaken. 

“Never mind that for now, though,” Impa said, drawing out her blade. “Let us go deal with those enemies, Zelda.” 

“Of course, My Lady.” 

Zelda dutifully followed after the Sheikah, quickly shifting her mind to the battle. Impa’s fighting style was truly unique with her Sheikah magic and a quick flurry of attacks. Perhaps the king was right after all about her not needing any assistance. 

A soft “toot” sounded through the air, and Zelda looked down to find the little guardian chasing after her. 

“No!” Zelda waved her free hand to the little thing. “Stay back.” 

But the guardian followed after her in a way that seemed almost stubborn despite Zelda waving it away. 

“You’ll get hurt,” she scolded it. “Go to the castle.” 

The guardian gave a stubborn toot and remained by her side with a little stomp of its feet. 

“Ignore it if you must, Zelda,” Impa called to her. “I will make sure you aren’t held accountable if it gets damaged.” 

Zelda frowned. She hadn’t been worried about that. Harm befalling into the little guardian seemed almost painful in a personal way. But Zelda acknowledged Impa’s command and returned to battle with the guardian following after her. 

She did her best to ensure its safety but soon found that to be unnecessary. The little guardian circled her in a dizzying motion she could not track and seemed to be good at dodging the monsters’ attacks. Zelda let a relieved sigh escape her as she turned against her foes. The battle would be over soon if they could eliminate the moblins before the night. 

A flicker of blue light appeared in the corners of Zelda’s vision. She looked down in annoyance, expecting the little guardian to be sticking too close for comfort. But her eyes met the slate in her arms, glowing softly. 

“The Sheikah Slate…” Impa gasped. “It’s been activated! Purah said the slate might have powers to help us out!” 

Zelda studied the Slate, wondering how she could get it working for this fight. “Your permission to use this, My Lady?” 

“Of course,” Impa nodded. “Use it however you please to help us in this battle.” 

Zelda couldn’t begin to guess how the Slate could be used for battle. But after a moment of experimenting, she managed to have the slate summon an unlimited supply of bombs to ambush the enemy and created pillars of ice that allowed her to claim the high ground. Clearing the monsters away was certainly easier now with this power. 

“A wizzrobe!” A soldier shouted. “A fire wizzrobe!” 

“Where?” Zelda asked, preparing to fight against the unpleasant foe herself. “Tell me where!” 

“Let me handle it!” Impa came forward. “Zelda, I entrust the slate to you until the end of the battle. Return it to me once you return safely.” 

“Understood, My Lady,” Zelda saluted. “As for the guardian?” 

“Let it keep following you, if it wishes,” Impa said. “I doubt it will get tired of you soon. Rendezvous me at the tower.” 

Zelda gave the nod as she moved toward the outposts plagued with monsters. Hopefully, she would be able to give the guardian and the slate back to Impa safely. 

* * *

Zelda gave a good thrust of her sword, and it landed true. The moblin fell with a cry of defeat before disappearing into smoke. 

The battle was over. 

She sighed in relief but quickly straightened as she remembered Impa’s order. 

“Come on then, little one,” she said to the guardian. “Let’s get you to the Prince’s attendant.” 

The little guardian gave a toot before following her. She didn’t know if it could understand her, but it felt awkward to ignore something with so much personality. 

Impa was at the mysterious tower, true to her word. She didn’t have any signs of serious injuries, much to Zelda’s relief. 

“Lady Impa,” Zelda saluted. “I am relieved to see you safe.” 

Impa blinked in surprise before turning to her. “I could say the same to you too, Zelda. But I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. You seem to be a very gifted knight.” 

“Your words honor me, My Lady.” 

“Please,” Impa smiled. “Call me, Impa.” 

Zelda felt herself flush. “I don’t think I could do that, My Lady.” 

“I suppose not,” Impa sighed. “But getting back to business. This inexplicable guardian and this mysterious tower. Could they be related?” 

“I believe the Sheikah Slate being activated could be involved too,” Zelda said. “I don’t know how it managed to become activated, but I theorize that this little guy might be involved. Its proximity could be what led me to tap into the slate’s power.” 

Zelda stopped as she met Impa’s eyes. “Forgive me, My Lady!” she hastily apologized, feeling like a fool. How many times had she been told to hold her tongue? “I have forgotten myself.”

She cast her eyes to the ground, feeling her face flush even redder. She must have sounded like an idiot, prattling about a subject that she had no experience with. And to the Prince’s attendant of all people. 

But Impa merely laughed. “At ease, Zelda. I am glad that you can use your brains as well as your muscles. You are indeed a good knight.” 

“Thank you, My Lady.” 

“Well, I hate to say it, but we have little hope of figuring this out on our own,” Impa sighed. “We need to report this to --” 

The little guardian made an excited toot before skittering away from Zelda to the castle. 

“Hey, what are you --” Impa shouted to it before running. “Stop!” 

“Oh no,” Zelda muttered before chasing after both the guardian and Impa. 

Soldiers were being carried away to healers’ huts, but they all seemed cheerful from the battle’s victory. Zelda spotted the king himself standing in the field with a proud smile on his face. But she continued to run until they reached the castle gate. 

“Prince!” Impa shouted, waving her hands. 

Zelda’s mind stopped for a moment before she dropped down to kneel to Prince Link. There was no way she would repeat her old mistake of making uninvited eye contact with a royal even if the king didn’t notice it last time. 

But she still risked a glance up to see the Prince for herself. Despite spending nearly a year at the castle, Zelda had only seen the Prince from a distance. This was probably the closest she will be to him in her lifetime.

As she glanced up, she saw the little guardian running at full speed towards the Prince. 

“No!” she shouted, lunging forward. She grappled the guardian away from the Prince and held it away. “A thousand apologies, Your Highness,” she said. “I didn't mean to let this little one get so close to you.” 

The Prince stared at Zelda with wide eyes and a slack jaw before turning towards Impa with a puzzled expression. 

“We found this little one by the tower,” Impa explained. “As I am sure you have heard of it.” 

The Prince nodded. 

“We believe that this little guardian may have something to do with that,” Impa continued. “And uh, please look at this.” 

Impa held the Sheikah Slate up to the little guardian, making the Prince move closer to Zelda. Zelda momentarily forgot what she was supposed to be doing as she stared at Link’s blue eyes. She didn’t think eyes as blue as the clear summer sky existed until now. His rich blue royal robes embellished in gold did a fantastic job bringing out his eyes. His wheat-colored hair was neatly braided and pinned with a golden circlet that showed his status. 

She hadn’t noticed she was staring until his blue eyes met hers with furrowed eyebrows. He turned Impa with a questioning glance. 

“This is Zelda,” Impa introduced her. “She assisted me in battle and was there personally as the tower sprouted out from the ground.” 

“Forgive my manners, Your Highness,” Zelda stammered out. “I should kneel, but with this little one, I --” 

Link interrupted her with a dismissive wave of a hand. There was no unkindness in the action as he smiled at her in amusement. 

_What a beautiful smile_ , Zelda thought and caught herself. She shouldn’t be thinking such things about the Prince. The Prince! She had no right calling him by his name!

But she was just a girl in the end. No one by her age would be able to resist a prince after all. It made sense to be so enamored.

“We should report this to the King as soon as possible,” Impa’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “You may release the guardian now, Zelda.” 

“Huh? Oh, of course!” Zelda gently set down the squirming guardian, who gave a happy toot and circled the prince like a hyperactive child. “Glory be to Hyrule,” Zelda saluted and started to move away. 

“Where are you going?” Impa called to her. 

Zelda turned back to face the confused Impa and Prince. “Oh, was I not dismissed?” 

“What? Of course not!” Impa laughed. “Come with us. We want to hear about your perspective on the tower and this little guy.” 

“Me?” 

The Prince tilted his head, his amused smile growing. 

“Yes, you,” Impa said. “You were there personally, after all.” 

“Oh,” Zelda didn’t think a simple knight like her would be in the audience with the prince and his attendant. She had been partially expecting an assigned written report turned in the next day. “Of course then, My Lady.”

“Come on then,” Impa motioned to her. “We will show you the way.” 

* * *

Zelda let herself enjoy the view on top of the tower. She could see up to the borders of the country. The wind pushed her hair back and a little shiver ran up to her back. The night was falling and the weather was getting colder. But Zelda stayed where she was, enjoying the sight. 

A little toot brought her eyes to the guardian. “A beautiful view is it not?” she said to the little guardian. 

It remained quiet as it skittled up to her, looking on to the horizon as well. 

This day had been unusually long for Zelda. She had fought against more monsters than she ever did in her lifetime, got involved more Ancient Sheikah technology than she thought was possible and got a promotion as the Prince’s bodyguard with the task to guard the tower as well. The King had seen her slay moblins in battle and was impressed with her skill. He had deemed her as a member of the royal guard.

A part of her was thrilled to be in such an honorable position and spend more time around the Prince and Impa. Another aspect of her felt undeserving of that title. She wasn’t of age yet so that the role would usually be out of the question. But perhaps the impending Calamity made the King choose that decision. 

But the strangest thing was probably the little guardian. The Sheikah Slate had revealed that it had traveled from the future amidst the Calamity for one goal. To save the Prince. 

Another chill set down to her, but not from the cold temperature this time. 

What had driven this little guardian to bend time itself to save the prince?

She knew of the stories involving time travel that the Heroes of the old used to save their loved ones and Hyrule. But she had never thought it was possible. 

“Guess we both got the same job,” she said to the little guardian. “To protect Prince Link.” 

The little guardian let out a little toot. 

Zelda smiled. “I just hope I succeed.” 


	3. Road to the Ancient Lab

Zelda stayed behind the Prince as he led the way to the Ancient Tech Lab. Impa had thought it would be appropriate to have the little guardian be examined by the royal scientists.

Even with the knowledge of her promotion, Zelda had been a little surprised at being able to accompany the Prince and his attendant to the laboratory. It had only been a few days since she was just a simple knight, but at least she had more experienced guards protecting the Prince as well. Hopefully, the little guardian’s goal wasn’t set because of this trip.

Zelda stopped at the thought. Where was the little guardian anyway?

A blur of white rushed past her legs and straight to Prince Link, tooting and beeping joyfully. It circled around his legs with the energy of a child and kept its blue orb on him.

Impa silently laughed before lowering herself to the ground. She reached out one hand for the guardian as if it was a street cat. The guardian beeped and moved away from her, hiding behind the Prince’s legs.

“Oh, come on,” Impa griped. “Come here.”

“I wonder why it’s so attached to the Prince?” Zelda wondered. “It refused to leave me alone when I first found it. Perhaps it has something to do with what happens in the future?”

The Prince turned back to her with an arched eyebrow and Zelda realized with deep shame that she had said all those things out loud. “Apologies, Your Highness, for speaking so freely. Please forget everything I said.”

“You’re so stiff,” Impa stood up, smiling at Zelda. “Relax.”

“Yes, Lady Impa,” Zelda slowly sighed. “I will try.”

Impa nodded. “Our best bet right now is to see Purah and Robbie about this little guy. And why it had to travel through time.”

And Zelda had a terrible feeling of being watched. She whirled back to find a half-excavated guardian. It glowed an uncomfortable shade of pink before setting its leering blue eye on the Prince with a red laser.

She moved without thinking, shoving the Prince behind her with her shield up. She heard a loud beep followed by surprised shouting. A heavy weight hit Zelda’s shield and she allowed her instincts into control as she deflected the laser.

“A guardian?!” Impa shouted. “But why?”

There was no time for questions. Zelda watched in horror as the mechanical thing pulled itself out of the dirt, its blue eye still looking at the Prince.

“Your Highness, we must leave immediately,” Zelda turned to Prince Link, barely registering his surprised expression as she grabbed his hand firmly. “It’s not safe here.”

They made it a few steps before they noticed the swarm of monsters.

“Well, isn’t it just my lucky day,” Zelda cursed and unsheathed her sword.

“On your guard!” Impa ordered. “Protect the Prince no matter what!”

“I’ll forge open a path to the outpost,” Zelda stepped forward. “Your Highness, please don’t stray too far.”

Prince Link gave a slow nod before Zelda charged into battle. The monsters here weren’t as many as ones in Hyrule Field, but there were still a concerning number of them. And she didn’t have the freedom of fighting at her own pace now that she was assigned as the Prince’s bodyguard.

But Prince Link was clever within the battle. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him avoiding any and all direct confrontation with ease. Perhaps he was taught how to avoid battles safely for his own protection.

Impa meanwhile was just as impressive as the battle of Hyrule Field with her deadly strikes and speed. She was far more experienced as a bodyguard than Zelda would ever be. Zelda’s stomach grew cold as she thought of the little guardian’s goal. If Impa was unable to protect him then what chance did she have?

She hadn’t realized she was distracted until a moblin fist made contact with her shoulder. She gasped in pain before leaping away from the monster.

_Stupid mistake_ , Zelda thought grimly as she rolled her shoulder. She needed to get her mind in the battle, not her worries.

A gentle touch came to her injured shoulder. She turned to find the Prince frowning at her in concern.

“Please stand back, Your Highness,” Zelda pulled away. “I can still fight.”

Prince Link hesitated but didn’t pull away from Zelda. His eyebrows were knitted in concern as he stared at her.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Please, my main concern is your safety right now. I cannot fight if you are so close to me.”

He finally pulled away though his concerned look didn’t leave his face. Zelda gave him a comforting smile before focusing on the moblin.

This monster was no different from the ones she bested in Hyrule Field. She could take it out with ease if she focused. She gave herself only a moment to breathe deeply before moving in again. The moblin attempted to strike her the same way again only to miss as she changed her direction at the last second. Moblin’s great size was one of its strengths but it also made it slow to guard its openings. She didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the monster’s unguarded back.

She turned back to the Prince as the monster disappeared. He blinked before smiling at her in relief. Worrying her escort was unbecoming of a knight. Zelda gave a short exhale and turned back to the battle, allowing her years of training and combat instinct to kick in as she went for the next monster.

The way to the outpost didn’t take as long as she had feared. The little guardian proved itself to be useful again as it unlocked more powers from the slate. Zelda was able to stop enemies mid-time and manipulate metal with a powerful magnet. She thanked Hylia for the little guardian as she made quick work of the monsters with the new powers.

But those powers proved themselves to be ineffective as the rogue guardian continued to chase after the Prince.

“Is there no hope of escape from this blasted thing?” Zelda shouted as she watched the guardian continue its rampage to the outpost. Luckily, it hadn’t lined up another laser to the Prince again but she knew their luck would run out soon.

She heard a soft gasp from Prince Link and looked back to find the little guardian standing in front of a stationary guardian. It played a little tune to the broken piece of machine and waited. Zelda opened her mouth to ask what in Hylia was happening only to be interrupted as the excavated guardian started to move.

Its head twisted experimentally, letting the dirt and dust fall from its head. Zelda pulled the Prince behind her as the guardian became fully activated with a loud _whirr_. But the guardian merely ignored them both and turned its head toward the rampaging guardian.

It fired a powerful laser, knocking the rogue guardian to the ground. It wasn’t destroyed but Zelda could see how much damage had been done.

“Incredible!” Zelda gasped. “It saved us!”

She heard an indignant toot and looked down to find the little one looking almost miffed. She heard the Prince laugh softly as a smile came to her. “And you have saved us too, little one.”

“There are more guardians nearby,” Impa said. “Perhaps we can activate them too?”

The Prince gave a firm nod to Impa’s suggestion who barked out orders to the soldiers to keep an eye on the rogue guardian but not to engage with it.

“I will find the unearthed guardians,” Zelda volunteered. “The little guy can accompany me on the journey.”

“We will be right behind you,” Impa said.

“We?”

“Of course, you don’t expect the Prince to remain here, do you?”

“No! I just thought that you were going to escort him away to safety.”

Prince Link crossed his arms at that and indignantly frowned at Zelda.

“I would if I could,” Impa sighed. “But he will never allow that.”

He gave a stubborn nod of an agreement at Impa’s resigned tone. There really did seem like there was no way for him to escape safely without crossing the line.

“Fine,” Zelda surrendered and moved away to take the lead. “Please, Your Highness, stay safe.”

“Wait!” The Prince grabbed Zelda’s arm. “Please.”

Zelda blinked, unsure if she was hearing properly. The Prince was infamous among the people for his silence. It was rumored that he never learned how to speak at all, so he let his attendants do all the talking. But there was no doubt that the Prince was talking to her.

“You are still injured,” he said, his eyes on her shoulder. “I will not standby and do nothing. I will fight too!”

Zelda frowned. “Do you know your way with the sword, Your Highness?”

The Prince hesitated. “No.”

“Then you must stay behind me. I cannot risk any harm befalling you by sending you to fight.”

“But I can help,” Prince Link argued and pulled out the Sheikah Slate. “If I use the powers of the Sheikah Slate creatively then perhaps I can fight by your side.”

His blue eyes looked up at her inquisitively. Zelda turned to Impa, expecting her to argue against the Prince and tell him to stay back. But she remained silent as Link continued to look up at Zelda.

“Din give me strength,” Zelda muttered as she realized that she was meant to decide. The Prince gave her no orders to let him fight but a plea. Lady Impa remained silent, letting Zelda take leadership.

“Alright, Your Highness,” Zelda surrendered again. “But take two extra guards with you.”

The Prince’s face lit up into a brilliant smile as he thanked Zelda profusely. Impa, meanwhile, only gave a knowing smile to Zelda.

There were more monsters further along the road than Zelda would have liked. But she preferred this swarm of monsters over the guardian. Lizalfos soon joined the horde of monsters as they further traveled up to the unearthed guardians.

The Prince was indeed creative with the Slate’s power. Zelda could not keep track of how he was managing the fight but knew he was doing well. Bombs flew left and right, scaring monsters away. Shards of ice were sent through the air and the Prince even used the pillars to get to high ground to escape dangers. Looks like her concerns were unnecessary after all.

They managed to clear out the military outposts with the extra help and successfully activated the unearthed guardians.

“It’s working!” Zelda cheered as she watched the guardian topple. “Sheikah technology is truly amazing.”

“Yeah,” the Prince softly murmured beside her. His eyes were absolutely sparkling and Zelda had the sneaking suspicion that the Prince had been waiting to use the powers of the slate since he first heard about it.

“We just need one more good hit,” Zelda said. “And we can destroy it.”

“You both did well,” Impa smiled at them both. “Our future is safe in your hands.”

“Thank you, Zelda,” the Prince said. “For your service and letting me join the fight.”

_His smile really is beautiful_ , Zelda thought as she saluted the Prince. “Of course, My Prince.”

* * *

The Ancient Tech Lab was absolutely chaotic.

Zelda’s hands itched to pick up the scientists’ notes and read it, but she stopped herself. She probably wasn’t allowed to touch anything.

The Royal Scientist, Robbie the Eccentric Genius, was absolutely captivated by the little guardian.

“So, what you are saying is that this is a never before seen guardian model?” Impa asked the eccentric.

“I have never personally seen a model like this,” Robbie amended. “But there are records of a similar model in our archives. I was just an apprentice then so I have only heard of it.”

“What of the model now?”

“It’s still probably put away in storage somewhere,” Robbie said. “I don’t remember the details, but I think my teacher had to discard it aside to focus on the Sheikah Tech they could figure out.”

“We should look over the discarded model again then. Perhaps we can learn something new this time.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Devices like the Sheikah Slate are but a meager fragment of Sheikah technology,” Robbie explained, waving his hands and dancing around the lab. Zelda couldn’t help but wonder how he could get anything done with his seemingly boundless energy.

“I see,” Impa said. “That does explain why we were all able to use the Sheikah Slate.”

“In addition!” Robbie shouted. “This little relic here is loaded with data. Information that we can’t even fathom.”

“But you can decode it, yes?” Impa asked.

“Aw, yeah!” A new voice interrupted Impa, making the Sheikah cringe. “Check it!”

Zelda looked to find the second Sheikah scientist, Purah the Genius Eccentric, making a little hand symbol over her eye. A smile unwittingly came to Zelda at the sight of Impa’s frown growing.

“Sister?” Zelda quietly asked.

“She’s adopted,” Impa grumbled. But Zelda doubted that. The family resemblance between the two was clear despite Purah’s loud extroverted personality and Impa’s quieter side. Now that Zelda thought about it, perhaps the two scientists aren’t always so loud and energetic. Maybe they were only like this when Impa was around with guests. Older siblings were like that after all.

“I managed to extract some visual data from the guardian’s memories,” Purah said, holding the Sheikah Slate up to the Prince and Impa. The two gasped in shock at the screen, their expressions falling slack in horror.

Zelda couldn’t help but peek over the Prince’s shoulder. Her heart dropped at the sight of destruction and chaos. “The Castle,” Zelda breathed out in shock.

“Yep,” Purah nodded. “That’s Hyrule Castle after Calamity Ganon has been revived.”

Zelda wanted to laugh it off and say it was a mistake. Perhaps the image came from the last battle against the Calamity instead of the future. But she could see the familiar town that lay just below the castle.

“Much of the data we managed to receive is fragmented,” Robbie said, his eccentric personality gone. “Even so, if I analyze what we received, I may be able to make more sense of it.”

The Prince remained quiet with a grim frown. He flipped through the images, his eyes scanning for something.

“Everything we have done up until now,” Impa said. “Likely would be for nothing.”

“No!” Zelda shouted. “This will not come to pass! We still have time do we not? And with this guardian, everything will go differently this time. We can change destiny.”

Zelda stopped as she met the Prince’s surprised eyes. She looked around to find the Sheikah scientists and Impa staring at her. “My apologies. I have forgotten myself.”

“No,” Impa said. “You are right. We need to make more haste in our preparation.”

The Prince set the Sheikah Slate down, a determined spark growing in his eyes.

* * *

To stop the Calamity, they needed the sword that seals the darkness, the sealing power within the Prince of Hyrule, and the might of the four unearthed Divine Beasts. The four Divine Beasts have already been excavated successfully across the lands of Hyrule. But the sword and the divine sealing power had its obstacles.

The ancient sword lied deep within Korok Forest, waiting for its wielder. But the Forest where it rested was overrun with monsters. Why the holy sword was in such a dangerous area, Zelda didn’t know. But it seemed impractical.

As for the Prince’s sealing power, there were no signs of it awakening yet. It was the reason why the people of Hyrule were at unease. As the days pass, the Calamity becomes closer to reviving. But the Prince still failed to show signs of his divine power.

“And you are willing to let this relic follow you around as you meet the candidates?” King Rhoam asked from his pedestal.

Zelda kept her head low but couldn’t fight back the frown on her face. The king sounded even more pompous from his throne than he did on top of the castle towers.

She should know the smile and praises that the King spoke of on the battlefield was nothing but pretend meant to gain support from his people. But she was still reeling from the change of the King’s demeanor. The shadowy throne room and the King’s aloof tone towards the Prince was a stark contrast from his kind words and personality.

“Let me remind you once again,” the king said. “Your duty to the kingdom is of the utmost importance. Are we clear?”

Zelda failed to hold back her scowl this time. The king spoke of duty but he remained at the castle as the Prince was sent to the corners of the country to gather the pilots of the Divine Beast.

She could feel the tension from Impa and risked a glance at the Sheikah. Impa met her eyes with the same unhappy grimace. So they were thinking the same thing.

They were unceremoniously dismissed from the King’s presence and sent out. The Prince walked out with his back straight and shoulders thrown back. But that determined spark in his eyes had muted down now. Zelda couldn’t help but blame the king for that loss.

The Prince suddenly stopped, his hand reaching into his pockets. Zelda couldn’t get a good look but it looked like a piece of Ancient Sheikah technology. Before she could build up the courage to ask, the Prince was already moving out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Champion time! Who's excited??


	4. Revali, the Rito Warrior

Zelda hated the cold, which is why the Tabantha Region was her least favorite place in all of Hyrule. Well, the cold and one other reason. She had hoped they were clever by going through the snowfield to avoid the monsters. But the cold blizzard had hampered the process. 

“I don’t mean to go out of the line, but I believe it would be better for you to remain here,” Zelda said to Prince Link. “It looks like the blizzard isn’t going to cease for a while. Please stay here in the shelter as the little guardian and I scout.” 

The Prince seemed hesitant about that idea. For a moment, Zelda feared that he would insist on scouting as well. As impressed as she was with his ingenuity of using the Sheikah Slate, the runes would not be able to help him against the blizzard. 

“Zelda is right,” Impa stood up. “But it would be foolish for you to go alone. I will accompany you as well.” 

The little guardian let out an indignant toot. 

“Oh, but I won’t be alone,” Zelda laughed. “I have this little one with me.” 

“I shall accompany you nonetheless,” Impa said. “The Prince would be safe here. The same can’t be said for you.” 

“Will you be alright, Your Highness?” Zelda asked. “We won’t be too far.” 

Prince Link tilted his head at the question before slowly nodding. 

“We will return soon,” Impa said as they headed out. “Don’t step out.” 

Zelda shivered at the sudden cold as they left their shelter. Hylia, Tabantha Region was awful. 

“You alright there, Zelda?” Impa asked. She didn’t bother to hide her amusement. 

Zelda stomped on the snow and shivered, blinking hard to keep the snow out of her eyes. Her helmet did little against the cold despite offering a good amount of defense. “Yes, I am just not used to the weather. I am from a warmer region, you see.” 

“Ah,” Impa nodded in understanding. “Well, we should hurry to Rito Village then. The sooner we enlist our pilot, the sooner we can escape the cold.” 

Zelda scowled and stomped her legs again. Why did the Rito live here instead of anywhere else? 

“I don’t suppose you don’t have anything that could warm me up,” Zelda glumly asked the little guardian. It only replied to her question with a carefree tune. “Hm. I thought so.” 

“Tell me, Zelda, have you ever been to Rito Village?” 

“Only once, My Lady.” 

“Oh?” Impa looked interested. “Was it recent?” 

“Not really,” Zelda said, recalling the time she created havoc in the village. “But it was unforgettable.” 

“What happened?” 

“Well, you see, my mother was a loyal knight of Hyrule. She didn’t stay in one place for too long as she fulfilled her duties. And since I was set to become a knight like her, I followed her in her travels, learning what I can.” 

“You were very dedicated.” 

“Thank you, My Lady.” 

“So, what happened in the Rito village?” 

“It was only a few years ago,” Zelda said, sighing at the memories. “But in the village, there was this —” She stopped. “Look a Rito!” 

Impa looked up to where she pointed and sure enough, there was a coppery feathered Rito ahead. “Looks like we aren’t too far from the village.”

“Excuse —” Zelda shouted, only to stop in horror. “Get down!” 

The arrow flew over their head as they ducked away. Zelda looked up and cursed as she saw more Rito appear with their bow pointed at them. 

“They must be stopped!” One yelled as he fired at Zelda. She leaped away from the arrow, drawing her sword out. 

“Why are they attacking us?” Impa shouted, her kodachi already drawn out. “Even in this blizzard, they couldn’t have mistaken us for monsters.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Zelda held out her shield. “We can’t lead them to the Prince if they are hostile!” 

She should worry about how the Rito and Hylian alliance would crumble if she were to fight against the soldiers under the Prince’s name. But the idea of being pinned by arrows wasn’t very appealing, nto to mention that it was the Rito that attacked first. 

The number of Rito weren’t as overwhelming as the monsters, but the fight demanded just as much focus and effort. The winged archers were nothing like mindless monsters after all. Their hits were precise and deadly, and Zelda’s disadvantage of being stuck in the low ground didn’t help either. She could try to hit them with her bow, but the blizzard made it near impossible to aim. 

“Head to the village!” Impa ordered. “We shall speak with the elder there.” 

Zelda gave a nod as she raced to the bridge with Impa not too behind her. As she made it to the bridge, however, a lone Rito was launching bomb arrows right to the bridge. She managed to stop herself just as it fell apart from the explosion, leaving it useless. 

“Well,” Zelda said, retreating. “That seems a bit excessive.” 

“Do you know another way into the village?” Impa asked. 

Zelda hesitated. “Do you have a paraglider?” 

“Yes.” 

“Do you see those updrafts?” Zelda pointed. “We can use them to get closer to the village.” 

“Good idea! But we are going to have to cut past the Rito and their captains.” 

“I will do my best not to leave fatal injuries, My Lady.” 

Zelda’s mother had made her watch the Rito warriors train when she visited the village. She was familiar with their techniques enough to guess their weaknesses. She could never win against a Rito as they are in the air. So, she would have to force them into the ground. 

She ducked behind the boulders, pretending to be cornered from the rain of arrows the Rito fired. They wouldn’t be able to finish her off unless they come to the ground to face her. 

She heard a victorious Rito cry as one landed on the ground; immediately, she struck the warrior down. He was too slow to block Zelda’s blow and fell away with a startled shout. He’ll live and wake up the next morning with a terrible headache. But he’ll live. 

Zelda was already fleeing before the rest of the warriors hit the ground. She used similar techniques as she and Impa slowly made their way closer to the Rito Village. 

“There’s the gate,” Impa said. “Just a little longer, Zelda!” 

Zelda turned back to reply, only to be cut off by a sharp gust of wind. This one was different from the ones that Impa and Zelda had to face from the blizzard. She covered her head on instinct but was too late as her helmet fell away from a well-aimed arrow. 

“Zelda!” she heard Impa scream. But she refused to move back as she heard a Rito land not too far from her. 

“That was a warning shot,” a familiar voice said. “You won’t be so lucky in the next one.” 

Zelda opened her eyes to find a Rito with dark blue feathers and red circular marks on his cheeks. His wings were folded neatly over his chest as the archer himself shot her a smile. “Well, well if it isn’t Zelda. I almost didn’t recognize you with the helmet on.” 

“Revali,” Zelda greeted sourly. “I see you haven’t changed.” 

“Au coutraire, Zelda,” Revali unfolded his wings, his smug grin still in place. “I like to think I have changed a lot. My skills have improved quite a lot since you were last here.” 

“Wait,” Impa came forward. “You know Revali of the Rito?” 

“Unfortunately, My Lady,” Zelda answered. “It’s not a pleasant thing to talk about.” 

“Says the invader,” Revali scoffed. “I should give you a special welcome since you earned it… a cornucopia of arrows!” 

“Wait!” Impa shouted. “It’s not that —” 

“Stand back, Lady Impa,” Zelda came forward, her sword drawn for battle. “This one is mine.” 

A gust of wind hit Zelda again, but this time she was prepared. She didn’t have the time to reach for her helmet, but her shield would provide ample protection. 

She quickly blocked the flurry of arrows for her head and moved forward. Revali may have mastered the art of flying upwards, but he can’t stay in the air for long if he plans to keep firing arrows. As he landed on the ground, Zelda kicked out to his legs. The Rito squawked indignantly as he tripped. She didn’t waste her chance as she struck the Rito with her broadsword, only to be blocked by his bow. 

“A bow?” Zelda scoffed. “Really?” 

“I’m not the one fighting with a sword in a long-range fight.” 

She pulled away as he pushed back, her shield held up to block the powerful updraft. She felt the arrows land and pulled it away to repeat her strategy. But as she started to move forward, she realized too late that Revali had seen through her. The Rito swooped down on Zelda, eager to knock her over as she had to him. 

Zelda grit her teeth and moved forward to meet his swing. Changing directions sharply would only cost her balance. She ducked down as low as she could to avoid Revali’s rough swing. She felt a bare contact from Revali before creating a distance between the two. 

“You look pathetic without the ability to fly,” Revali crowed. 

“And you look pathetic for not being able to land a hit on me!” She activated the little guardian’s stasis rune. Revali’s smug face remained still, though his eyes flicked back and forth in panic as Zelda closed their distance and landed a good few hit on the Rito. The rune fell away with a loud _clang,_ launching Revali backward with the built-up momentum. 

But the Rito landed gracefully back on the ground with a puzzled if not frustrated face. 

_ At least he’s not acting so arrogant anymore _ . 

“Hmph,” Revali said, launching forward into the air. “You’re not as weak as I expected. If I’m not careful, you may even steal the win.” 

He pulled out red-tipped arrows, aiming towards Zelda. She jumped away just in time but still felt the searing heat of the fire arrow as it passed by her. She doubted her shield would last long if he planned to bombard those magic arrows at her. It was time to change direction. 

She kept her shield up but tried her best to dodge away from Revali’s fire arrows. If only she could reach him.

An idea came to her. A risky, foolish idea, but it might work if she could pull it off. 

She tracked the archer’s movements through the air, careful not to remain still for too long. And as Revali pulled the string of his bow back, she moved forward with her idea. She pulled her arm back and launched her shield into Rito with a spin for extra power. It flew through the air and struck Revali’s head. 

He faltered as the shield momentarily paralyzed him before falling to the ground. Zelda saw him attempt to open his wings to catch himself and moved forward to meet him in the ground. This fight was hers. 

As she went forward to meet him, she looked up to see Revali looking smug. Something was wrong. Zelda attempted to stop herself as Revali landed, inches in front of her, with power strong enough to leave cracks on the ground. She tripped on her feet as Revali knocked her back with a well-placed punch. Her eyes flooded with tears as the hit landed cleanly on her face. Fortunately, nothing seemed broken.

“It’s time to settle this!” Revali shouted, launching into the air. “Don’t blink or you will miss my rousing victory!” 

Zelda scrambled up as the Rito circled their little arena. She had sacrificed her only line of defense for nothing. The only thing she could do now was place a well-timed hit on Revali to claim victory. 

She saw a flick of light from the Rito and watched in dread as Revali threw a lit bomb arrow midair. Zelda scrambled away from its landing, only to witness more lit bomb arrows raining down from the sky. 

She moved entirely on careful instinct then, dodging each explosive as carefully as she could. 

Dust and snow flew into the air with each explosion until she couldn’t see anything. But Revali won’t be too far from her. 

Just as she had that thought, the Rito appeared in front of her with a dramatic swing and an arrow nocked into his bow. She swung her sword to the archer only to miss as Revali flipped away midair to her open back. 

“I am better than you,” she heard the Rito’s smug tone and whirled around to meet him. 

_ He’s open from this angle. _

She swung her sword again as Revali pulled the string back. 

“Stop! Please!” 

Zelda heard the order and followed it. There was no way to stop her sword mid-swing, so she let it slip from her hand and clatter on the ground. Revali pulled away from her and landed in a graceful spin. The arrow falling away from his bow and landing on the ground as well. 

Zelda turned to the source of the protest and found the Prince standing not too far from her. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed heavily, almost as if he ran here. He only gaped at Zelda, his eyes wide in shock and mouth open slightly. 

She must have looked like a mess. 

* * *

Rito Village it turns out has been under an attack from monsters led by a small unusual-looking guardian. Revali and his fellow warriors had barely managed to claim victory but remained on guard ever since. 

“I see,” Impa said. “That certainly clears up the situation. Except, if you two knew each other, why did you continue fighting?” 

“I had assumed she was with the invaders since the guardian that follows her looked the same as the guardian that led the monsters,” Revali answered. “Her eagerness to fight against me had only confirmed my hypothesis.”

“Oh, as if you allowed us to explain,” Zelda protested. “It was just self-defense from _your_ eagerness to fight _me_.” 

“Anyway,” Impa interrupted them. “We must address the gravity of there being another guardian resembling the little one.” 

“Yes, My Lady,” Zelda moved away, trying to reign in her anger. She turned away from Revali only to meet the Prince’s blue eyes. He smiled at her and pointed to her face. 

“My …? Oh!” Zelda reached a hand to her lips. Revali’s punch ended up making her bite down on it too hard. She hadn’t noticed it until Impa had pointed out the blood. “The bleeding is better now, Your Highness. All I need is some elixir and I will be good as new. Thank you for your concern.” 

The Prince nodded in relief at Zelda’s words. 

“If this little guardian is connected to the Calamity,” Impa said. “Then we must strategize as swiftly as possible.” 

“Well, then?” Revali said to the Prince. “Out with it!” 

The Prince blinked in surprise at Revali’s blunt tone. 

“Revali,” Zelda warned. 

“We both know you will be needing my unique skills,” Revali said, ignoring her warning. “There is no better candidate than me to pilot the great Divine Beast. However!” He moved towards Zelda and looked down at her from his beak. “About this pathetic knight in your service…”

Zelda bristled indignantly. “Pathetic? I landed more hits on your twig of a body than you did!” 

“And yet, you seem to be the one who walked away with visible injures from the fight,” Revali smirked down at her. “While I walked away nearly unscathed.” Zelda was starting to regret holding back on her strikes as he was locked within the stasis. “Are you sure she’s got what it takes?” he continued. “She’s a nobody.” 

“You overgrown cuccoo,” Zelda retorted. “I should pluck out all your feathers and make a coat for my—” 

A loud indignant toot from the guardian interrupted her. She looked down to find the little guardian in front of her, pushing Revali away with a loud noise. 

“What the…? Revali moved back, gaping at the guardian. 

Impa came forward and leaned down to the guardian. “Oh, I see,” Impa smiled. “Our little friend here believes itself to be a knight as well, in service of our Prince.” 

“It _whaaat_?” Revali said with a comically confused expression that Zelda couldn’t help but snort at the sight. “Ugh, ridiculous. Every last one of you.” 

She heard a soft laugh and turned to find the Prince looking down on the little guardian with a smile. It felt natural to think it was beautiful now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to have Revali and Zelda as friends but when I saw Revali and Link throw hands at each other, I figured it would be more fun if they both straight-up hated each other to the point where they would just start fighting the moment they see each other. 
> 
> Now with Revali done, who do you think the next Champion will be?


	5. Urbosa, The Gerudo Chief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this so many times cause I kept realizing way too late that I was just talking about the gameplay instead of the actual plot, anyway I hope you enjoy

Leaving for the Gerudo Desert was a dream come true for Zelda. The desert heat was a welcome change to the chilly days of the Rito Village. She was not going to miss the Tabantha Region any time soon. Primarily because of Revali. 

Not to mention that she had always dreamt of visiting the Gerudo Town. Her mother’s travels only allowed her in the bazaars and trade points where she only got a glimpse of the life of Gerudo. She wished desperately to train under them and learn their arts. Perhaps when the dust settles, she could rest in Gerudo Town and learn of its cultures. 

_ Or if you get exiled from Hyrule for failing. _

Zelda winced at the thought as she pushed the Prince into hiding. Despite her hopes and eagerness to explore the town, their trip seems to have taken a downturn. 

It was common knowledge that men were not allowed into the warriors’ town, so they had planned to meet the Chief of Gerudo at Golden Oasis. It was a smaller village not too far from Gerudo Town that was meant to host people who were banned from entering the town. It’s where the merchants, the husbands of the Gerudo, and diplomats gathered while still being run by the Gerudo themselves. They had barely stepped into the humble village before the Gerudo warriors started chasing them. 

“Why are they attacking us?” Zelda asked, keeping her hand on the Prince. He remained quiet with an expression she could not quite decipher. 

“Shh,” Impa raised a finger to her lips. Just as she did, Zelda heard the marching footsteps of the Gerudo warriors. The warriors stopped at where they hid, their eyes scanning the environment. Zelda held her breath as they slowly turned in their direction and looked away. The three warriors continued their search away from the hiding spot. 

Zelda counted her heartbeat silently before standing up to scan the area. “It’s safe now.” 

“Is every tribe going to attack us for visiting?” Impa said in frustration. “What’s the Gerudos’ reason for attacking us?” 

“Urbosa,” The Prince said quietly. “She can explain everything if we reach her.” 

Zelda hesitated. “The town will be heavily guarded. And you won’t be allowed in, Your Highness.” 

Link didn’t argue or protest. But she knew he was set on the idea of reaching Chief Urbosa. He had that same look as before in the Breach of Demise, determined and stubborn. 

“Advancing directly would be difficult,” Impa said. “But the south side should be much easier.” 

Zelda sighed in defeat. “Stay close to me then, Your Highness. Please.” 

Link nodded in understanding as Zelda jumped out of their hiding spot and ran towards the town. It felt strange to run on the sand like this. Her footsteps felt less certain and she had to fight for balance at the speed she set. 

“The Hylian Forces are attacking!” She heard a Gerudo warrior shout. “Just as we have been warned.” 

Zelda left as little damage as she could on the Gerudo forces. Tensions between the Gerudo and the Hylians were easy to increase despite the centuries of alliances. Unjust kings and queens had broken treaties on both sides a countless number of times. And Zelda was not going to be the reason why the Gerudo and the Hylians fell back in their tense ways by failing to protect the Prince.

Fighting against the mighty tribe already proved itself to be a challenge with Zelda fighting on an unfamiliar footing. All she could do was disarm her adversaries before quickly fleeing. The Prince and Impa fought beside her against the Gerudo forces. They were handling the lumpy ground far better than Zelda from their routine visits to the Gerudo desert. 

“Over there!” Impa pointed. “That is the southside gate.” 

Zelda attempted to shove the gate open, but it refused to budge. She threw her whole weight on the gate but found it futile. 

“They have fallen for the trap!” A loud cry celebrated. “Attack!” 

“A trap?!” Impa shouted incredulously. “What is Urbosa thinking?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Zelda shouted back. “We need to retreat!” 

“No!” The Prince protested. “I need to see Urbosa. Zelda, please.” 

_He said my name_ , Zelda numbly thought as she held out her new. “Are you sure?” 

Link gave a stubborn nod. 

“Then we shall see the Chief,” Zelda said, before she could really stay on that thought. They didn’t have much of a choice anyway. 

Zelda took on a defensive form of combat against the Gerudo. She didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks in an unfamiliar environment. But a few minutes into the battle, Zelda felt disappointed. 

She had been expecting strong adversaries that risked to overwhelm her with skills. But the Gerudo warriors seemed to rely on their number more. Zelda liked to think of herself as a skilled strategizer, not as experienced as the world leaders or her captains, but she couldn’t help but feel that the warriors’ formation and planning were weak. Some of them weren’t even holding their spears right. Few of the Gerudo even seemed hesitant to raise their weapon against the Prince. What in the world was happening? 

Another wave of soldiers came from the town in waves. And Zelda had an idea. 

“Those gates are open!” she shouted to the Prince and Impa. “Cut through the soldiers.” 

Impa moved forward first, striking the Gerudo with her kodachi and Sheikah magic. She made a good opening for Zelda to cut through as she led the Prince into the town where more soldiers greeted them. 

Zelda blinked in surprise. This part of the town looked as if it was a civilian area. What had driven the chief to turn her peaceful town into a battle zone?

“Prince!” Impa called from a grand set of marble stairs leading to what Zelda assumed was the Gerudo’s stronghold and throne room. “Hurry!” 

“Pardon me,” Zelda grabbed the Prince’s hand and ran. The sooner they see the Chief, the sooner this nightmare can end. She dashed up the set of marble stairs, her grip on the Prince’s hand firm. But he made no signs of protest as he followed after her. 

She entered the Chief’s throne room and sighed in relief at the lower temperature. Chief Urbosa sat on her throne with a cold calculating expression. She looked as if she was waiting for something to happen. Or someone to arrive. 

“Urbosa,” Link broke free of Zelda’s grip and approached the throne. “What—” 

He was interrupted as two of Urbosa’s guards stopped him with their spears. 

“Hey!” Zelda drew her sword with Impa following the suit. She stepped in front of Link, her arm extended protectively. “Stand down!” 

“Why?” Link whispered in dread. “What are you doing?” 

The Gerudo Chief slowly stood from her throne. She gave Link an aloof look before smiling in an unsettling manner. “Thwarting your destiny, of course, Prince Link.” The Chief drew her scimitar out. 

Urbosa launched forward with a gleeful grin of a murderer as Zelda stood her ground. She didn’t know if she could beat the Chief of Gerudo, but she might be able to buy enough time for Impa to escape with Link. 

Everything happened in one quick moment. She heard Link scream and Impa shout as she moved forward to block Urbosa’s scimitar. Lightning crackled through the air with a loud boom. And directly struck the chief. 

Zelda gaped at the still body before slowly moving away. She wasn’t dead, but it would be for the best to create some distance. 

“I came back as quickly as I could,” a new voice said at the door. She turned back to find another Chief Urbosa strolling into the throne room. “Not exactly what I expected to find.”

Zelda’s mind whirled in confusion at the two Urbosas. Was this the real Chief of the Gerudo or a copy?

But Zelda could already make a confident guess as the new Urbosa approached the Prince with a grace that the old one lacked. Her emerald eyes were gentle as she gazed down at him. 

“Urbosa?” The Prince whispered, hopeful but wary. 

“I hope you are not hurt, little pup.”

At the nickname, Prince Link slowly smiled in relief and joy. “I’m not!” 

“But if you’re Chief Urbosa,” Zelda spoke up. “Then who is this?” 

She heard a groan from the floor and looked down to find the imposter trying to stand. Its disguise fell away with a puff of smoke, revealing a masked round man in a red tight suit. She gasped at the inverted eye drawn onto his mask. 

“You’ve got some nerve thinking you can go toe to toe with Master Kohga!” The imposter jumped off the ground to the throne. “I will show you…” 

He made some hand gestures and in puffs of smoke and the Yiga soldiers appeared one by one. The Gerudo guards that stood before the throne shed their disguises to reveal themselves to be members of the Yiga clan as well. Zelda pushed the Prince away from traitors as the others quickly drew themselves for battle. 

“Yiga Assemble!” Kohga commanded. “Excluding me of course…” 

With that he vanished, leaving behind his confused soldiers. 

Zelda didn’t waste the opportunity as she swung her sword down to the nearest soldier. Now that she had solid ground underneath her feet, there was no need to take slow extra caution against her foes. It didn’t take too long with their advantage of the first strike and the bare handful of Yiga in the throne room. But she heard shout of dismay outside followed by sounds of a battle. 

“The town is surrounded,” Impa said from the doorway, frowning down at the number of Yiga flooding the streets. 

The sight of chaos was nearly disheartening to Zelda. Civilians ran in fear from the Yiga’s terror as the Gerudo warriors fought to protect their town. She only gave herself a brief moment of respite, before drawing out every bit of her determination. “Then let’s liberate it.” 

“Allow me to help,” Urbosa came forward. “It is my fault that you are in this mess after all.” 

“It would be an honor,” Zelda moved to salute only to find her hands full. “Thank you.” 

The Chief didn’t miss Zelda’s blunder but only smiled as she summoned more lighting against the Yiga. Prince Link and Impa weren’t too far behind as they followed after her.

Chief Urbosa in combat was everything that Zelda heard of it to be. She moved as quick as lightning and as powerful as the storms. Her armor and crown glinted against the hot desert sun, adding on to her royal look. Her voice carried the power of a leader that both King Rhoam and Rito Elder lacked as she rounded up her own soldiers despite the chaos. 

“What do we do about the Yiga?” Zelda asked, forcing a Yiga blade master to flee. “They’re still a threat to the town.” 

“There is a great beast nearby that can drive the Yiga off,” Urbosa answered. “We just need to lure it out of hiding. Head north, knight of Hyrule!” 

Zelda’s legs were carrying her before she even realized it. She exited the town with Impa and the Prince not too far behind her. She briefly hesitated at seeing the unfamiliar terrain but moved on for the Yiga outside the town’s walls. 

Her armor practically was baking her from the midday sun as she fought and her lack of experience fighting on the sand for long hours added to the disadvantage. There were more close calls than she would have liked to admit against the Yiga. Her defensive maneuver could only help her for so long before the Yiga started to chip her away. She attempted to mimic Urbosa’s stance and quick strikes as she faced her adversaries. 

It took several attempts to grow comfortable with it, but she soon found herself at an advantage as she tore through the Yiga soldiers. Changes were necessary, but she managed to figure out a way to fuse both the Chief’s fighting style along with hers. 

“Make some noise!” Urbosa ordered. “That will draw the beast’s attention.” 

Zelda moved to use the bomb arrows she purchased from Rito Village and fired relentlessly at the Yiga. She saw the Prince summon a large blue bomb and rolled down to the enemies with a near gleeful look. Urbosa summoned her lighting from the skies and Impa used the little explosives she kept on her at all times. 

“Any moment now…” Chief Urbosa called. And Zelda was ready. 

The ground rumbled as Zelda fled back to the town with the Prince. She heard the Yiga clan celebrate at their supposed retreat and smiled. 

Fools. 

The cheers died out slowly as the rumbling grew louder and more frequent from underneath the sands. Zelda looked back just in time to see a giant molduga burst out of the ground, swallowing down the Yiga it could catch. She felt a chill run down her spine at the size of the animal. How could anyone live next to such a thing?

The Yiga screamed in fear as the molduga fell on the ground with an earth-shaking thud. 

“Ha!” Urbosa laughed. “I almost feel sorry for the Yiga scum.” 

“The enemies are losing their momentum!” Zelda took her turn to cheer. “Let’s round them up now!” 

Fighting against the Yiga was easier than ever now that they were so scattered. The Molduga, meanwhile, proved itself to be a little threat as it prowled away in the sands with an unsatisfied grunt. 

“Protect your chief, you fools!” Zelda heard a scream. She looked up to find Kohga berating his soldiers. “Or do you want me to croak?” 

“Do you like being the Yiga’s fools?” Urbosa’s commanding voice overrode Kohga’s. “No? Then show them the might of the Gerudo!” 

The Gerudo warriors followed their chief with a rallying battle cry. Zelda joined in as she charged towards the enemy outposts. 

She engaged with a Yiga soldier to another soldier at ease. She landed a kick on her adversary’s stomach and realized too late that she overcommitted with that hit. Zelda yelped and threw her arms out for balance as the sand shifted underneath her foot. The Yiga wasn’t a fool and saw their advantage. They retaliated with their own kick in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. 

She looked up to find the Yiga’s scythe descending down on her. Her mind whirled as she raised her sword to meet their strike, but found herself moving far too slow. And yet, the scythe never made contact. 

She gaped Yiga looming over her, it’s scythe inches away from her face and glowing in the pale light of the Stasis Rune. A gentle hand came to her shoulder and she looked up to find Link frowning in concern. 

Her mind caught up with her at last as she came to the realization that Link used the rune to save Zelda from the Yiga soldier. She didn’t miss her opportunity as she quickly swatted the Yiga soldier with her sword. The rune’s power wore off and the Yiga soldier went flying. 

“Thank you,” Zelda stood up quickly, eager to rejoin the battle. “You saved my life, Link.” 

As she said his name, she knew it was wrong. “Prince!” she corrected herself. “Prince Link! Forgive me, Your Highness.” 

“No, I —” the Prince spoke. 

“Please, excuse me!” Zelda ran away before he could finish. And realized too late that was wrong as well. She was so going to be court-martialed for this. 

* * *

The last of the Yiga Clan outposts was the most heavily guarded one. So naturally, Kohga was there. A large metal ball with spikes appeared over Kohga’s head as he spotted Zelda. He launched the ball to Zelda with a yell. 

“I had a watertight plan!” Kohga raged. “And you sank it! I will make you regret it!” 

Zelda heard everyone else enter the outpost as she easily dodged his attack. Kohga was quick in a clumsy kind of way. Zelda had seen captains place soldiers in boot camp for a month for moving around like that. But for some reason, Kohga put up more of a fight than she ever could have expected.

She tried to stay light on her own feet to dodge Kohga’s unpredictable and borderline chaotic moves. Chief Urbosa fought beside her as she struck Kohga with relentless lighting after lighting. But amazingly he managed to dodge most of it, much to Urbosa’s frustration. Impa and the Prince were not too far behind as well as they rained their own attacks down to the Yiga Chief. 

Despite Kohga’s best efforts and all his bizarre techniques, he eventually met his defeat. He was at the disadvantage of being outnumbered after all. Frankly, Zelda was surprised he managed to hold on for this long. He was backed against a corner by Chief Urbosa as she pointed her scimitar at him. 

“How could you losers defeat me?” Kohga asked in outrage. 

Zelda blinked at the question. “We have you four to one. It was kind of inevitable.” 

Before Kohga could argue, a shadow passed over their head followed by thundering footsteps. She looked up to find a Yiga soldier running to them from the wall. He quickly lashed out as he met the ground and stood between Kohga and Urbosa. 

Urbosa met his strike with her scimitar before pushing him away. The Yiga wasn’t discouraged as he struck again with both of his blades, but this time towards Zelda. She attempted to meet his strike only to be pushed away easily. The Yiga attacked Urbosa who met his strike again. She grunted from the effort before the Yiga pulled away. 

He crossed his blades and swiped them through the air sending a ray of energy towards them. Zelda and Urbosa intercepted it with their shield. It wasn’t as heavy as a guardian’s laser, but Zelda had spent all her energy running and fighting all day. She stumbled back as the Yiga kneeled to the Chief. “Master Kohga.” 

“Sooga, you’re late!” Kohga fumed. “I nearly got peeled like a banana.” 

Zelda brought herself to stand up, trying to ignore her parched throat and the heat of the desert. How long had she been fighting in this heavy armor?

Sooga picked up his Chief with practiced ease and turned towards them. There was a fracture on his inverted eye mask and Zelda couldn’t help but think of the scars that decorated a veteran’s skin. This Yiga had his fair share of a fight and was definitely way more experienced than Zelda. 

“Forget these cowards,” Sooga said. “It is time to retreat.” 

“I think not!” Urbosa ran toward them with her scimitar raised. But the Yiga vanished to smoke with a giggle.

* * *

It was the bare hours of twilight when Urbosa met them at the foot of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Zelda couldn’t help but gape at the large mechanical animal. It was larger than five moldugas stacked together and she had to extend her head all the way back to see the very top of it. 

“Thank you for meeting me here,” Urbosa called to them. “The town is a bit … chaotic, shall we say.” 

“Of course,” The Prince smiled at the Chief. 

It was interesting how Prince Link was so open with the Chief of Gerudo and spoke so often around her. There were rumors of a close relationship between the late queen and the chief, perhaps it was that close relationship was what allowed Link to be so open around Urbosa. But that's none of her business. 

“I trust that you know of the Yiga clan,” Urbosa spat out the clan’s name as if it tastes of rot. “Sheikah traitors working to revive Calamity Ganon.” 

Impa let out a disgusted sigh next to her while Zelda only curled her lips to a polite frown. 

“Those lowlifes have been wreaking chaos in the Gerudo Canyon,” Urbosa continued. “How long can we standby to watch them get away with it? No longer, I say. I will pilot the Divine Beast.” 

Prince Link perked up. “Really?”

Urbosa smiled. “You are precious to me, and you need my help. I cannot refuse.” 

Prince Link moved to join the chief’s side. “And as the prince of Hyrule, I too will carry out my sworn duty.” 

Zelda frowned as the Prince spoke of his father’s words. It didn’t sit right with her. 

“Little pup…” Urbosa sighed. Prince Link looked down on his clasped hands and Zelda felt as if she was intruding on something that was meant to be private. But leaving now would break the moment. “However I am able to support you, I will. Just say the word.” 

The Prince gave the chief a weak smile. “Thank you.” 

“And I should thank you for what you did today,” Urbosa said and looked up to Impa and Zelda. “All of you.” Her eyes met Zelda’s. “I don’t believe I caught your name.” 

_ “She’s a nobody.”  _

“Zelda,” she brought herself to speak. “It is just Zelda, Chief Urbosa.” 

  
  



	6. Daruk, The Goron Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> with the final exams coming up, I did not have the chance to edit and proofread as thoroughly as I would have like so I am sorry for any distracting grammar and spelling errors.

The Gorons were a mighty tribe that lived in a town forged within Death Mountain. Zelda had visited Death Mountain more than she could count. Despite the unbearable heat from the lavas, Zelda found the city a wonderful place due to its sincere folk. 

Hylia had smiled down at Zelda, Impa, and The Prince as they had faced little confrontation when arriving in the city. 

“Zelda!” she jumped at the shout of her name. “Little one!” 

Zelda looked up to find the mighty Daruk running in her direction and gave a quick prayer to the goddess. 

“Do you have some sort of ill going on with the majority of our candidates?” Impa joked as she watched the Goron approach. Zelda heard a soft snort from Prince Link. 

“Oh, it’s actually—” Zelda attempted to explain, only to lifted off her feet and nearly be crushed. She gasped as she felt the air leave her lungs before she was quickly set on the ground from the Goron’s hug. 

“How have you been?” Daruk laughed. “How is your mother?” 

“Fine,” Zelda managed to bring herself to answer. “Thank you, sir.” 

“If I may,” Impa came forward. “How did you make acquaintance with our Zelda?” 

_ Our Zelda. _

“Ah! It was a long time ago when she was a wee one,” Daruk explained. “Her father was one of them Sheikah that excavated Vah Rudania. And this little rascal here had snuck into my armory to hold my Boulder Breaker when her father looked away! Her puny little arms couldn’t lift it, of course.”

“Daruk!” Zelda protested, feeling her face flush. Of all the stories to tell, why that one?

She heard a snort from Impa followed by a laugh and another. Zelda turned back to find Link quietly laughing at the story with his mouth barely covered. For a moment, she had forgotten her embarrassment. 

“So!” Daruk’s loud voice brought her back to reality. “What can I do for you little ones?” 

“Well, we have a request,” Impa said. “From our king and for the sake of Hyrule.” 

Impa explained everything as Link quietly added necessary information for the Goron. Daruk listened to them with patience and asked questions where it was required. After he was satisfied, he gave a nod and invited them to rest within the city. 

“What you’ll learn about me is that I will never refuse a sincere request,” Daruk said. “So, of course, I’m on board with your plan!” 

That was true. Daruk had been eager to teach her wrestling at Zelda’s request. She returned home with a concussion and had to stay indoors for a week, but she had learned plenty about fighting barehanded and using an opponent’s strength against them. 

“Hmm…” Daruk stopped. “Except there is one problem… It’s just that Vah Rudania is in a difficult spot right now. The Divine Beast had been found on top of Death Mountain and there has been a horde of monsters around that area. So getting up there would be a big old pain. Only the bravest go up there now.” 

Zelda saw Link droop in disappointment at the news as Impa frowned. Zelda, meanwhile, wasn’t too surprised to hear about Daruk’s news. There have been rumors of monsters wreaking havoc on Death Mountain for months. 

“So that’s why it’s a good thing it’s gonna be us!” The Goron shouted with glee, making all three of them jump. Zelda really should be used to his rambunctious personality by now. 

“Of course!” Zelda agreed as jubilantly as she could. “Only the bravest of the bunch. But...” she turned towards the Prince, who was looking as determined as ever. “Never mind.” 

“Come on!” Daruk led the way. “Death Mountain won’t climb itself.” 

* * *

Daruk wasn’t exaggerating as he spoke of the overwhelming monsters on top of Death Mountain. It took more than the four of them to bypass the first wave of monsters. Few brave Gorons had stepped up and offered back up. 

Zelda was tempted to send the Prince back into the City for safety, but she knew she wouldn’t win against that argument. The more she spent time around him in combat, the more she understood why Impa had remained quiet in the Breach of Demise. For someone that was so silent, he was surprisingly stubborn. 

As they barely managed to make it past the first wave, a Goron soldier came forth with the news of an invasion in the mines. Their back up wasn’t going to arrive any time soon. 

“We need to retreat,” Zelda shouted over the din. “It would be foolish to climb the mountain without proper backup.” 

“I agree, little one,” Daruk nodded. “We need to liberate the mines from those monsters first.” 

“Allow me to help.” 

“And me,” Impa came forward with Prince Link. Zelda frowned at the Prince’s eagerness to join the battle. She admired his courage, but the more he insisted on getting involved, the more she feared about his safety. The little guardian’s goal might not be too far from the future if Zelda were to fail. But worries offered nothing but a distraction. She would have to trust their skill to make it through the day. 

Daruk’s combat style is the same as Zelda remembered. He was surprisingly quick for someone of his size, and his weapon did little to hinder his process. He rolled through the area as Gorons did, using his momentum and large size to knock back the enemies. Zelda had been taught a similar technique from Daruk with pushing her enemies back using her shield. 

“You guys, be careful!” Daruk shouted at them. “I’ll take the south side.” 

“We will be alright, Daruk,” Zelda called back. “We faced similar foes before numerous times.” 

The Goron laughed. “You are making me feel like an old Goron! I still remember the day where you could barely swing your sword properly.” 

Zelda felt herself flush. “I was a beginner like everyone at some point.” 

“And you were so puny! Barely reached up to my legs.” 

“Now is not the time for sentimentality,” Zelda deflected a monster’s blow as she heard Impa and the Prince snicker behind her. “Focus on the fight.” 

“Alright, Zelda,” Daruk nodded. “Watch for the magma!” 

Zelda watched as Daruk called forth his power of Protection against the monsters. Despite being a defensive ability, Daruk had ways to use it on offense as he slammed into the enemies and used his Protection to pressure the enemies. 

“Spectacular,” Impa gasped. “He truly has incredible prowess.” 

Zelda agreed as they liberated the mines. It was an honor to learn from him during her time in Death Mountain. His lessons had stuck with Zelda, no matter how many years passed. 

She twisted back to find the Prince still fighting, not too far from her. The Prince continued to use his Sheikah Slate’s runes against the monsters that grew close to him. Zelda had done her best to take out the monsters that held the most threat, leaving behind as few as she dared for the Prince. 

But there was nothing she could do about the stone talus up ahead. “Lady Impa!” she shouted back. “Look after the Prince as I take care of that.” 

“Zelda, wait!” 

She didn’t look back to find the Prince shouting as she joined Daruk in the fight. That damned monster was going to be her kill. 

* * *

Zelda gave a quick prayer of thank you to the Golden Goddess for giving her the insight to buy the fireproof elixirs. The top of Death Mountain was hotter than the sun in the Gerudo Desert but just as oppressive. She felt the heat prickle at her armor and not for the first time did she wish she had lighter protection. She wouldn’t have been so clumsy in the desert if her metal armor hadn’t dragged her down. 

“Oh,” Daruk gasped as he leaned into Death Mountain. “It’s even bigger than I remember.” 

Vah Rudania stood within Death Mountains, somehow staying afloat on the hot magma. Despite the distance, the Divine Beast was still larger than Zelda had bargained. She blinked against the heat to study it some more. 

While the size was just as impressive, it’s height was shorter than Vah Naboris. But the makeshift legs of the lizard-like machine proved that it could traverse through Death Mountain without letting the unstable terrain hinder it. 

The little guardian came forward and pointed down to the Divine Beast with a little tune while facing Daruk. The Goron grinned down at the little guardian before moving on. 

“Let’s get down to it, then,” Daruk rolled his shoulders. “I can’t wait.” 

Daruk proved himself to be a proper pilot for the Divine Beast as he steered Vah Rudania out of Death Mountain. The Beast showed itself with a mighty mechanical roar before heading for the swarm of monster camps. 

“Heh,” Daruk laughed. “Getting here is all well and good, but how do I drive this thing?” 

“What?” Zelda yelped as she attempted to right herself in the moving Beast. “You don’t know?” 

“This is the first time I stepped into Vah Rudania, little one.” 

Zelda cursed as she attempted to stand up again. She saw Impa offering her arm to the Prince, who was slightly turning green from the constant unsteady motions. They didn’t know how to pilot the Divine Beast either. 

“Welp! The best way to learn is by doing,” Daruk laughed. “Let’s see what this thing is capable of!” 

Zelda watched Daruk unleash attack after attack onto the unsuspecting monster camps. Magma and rocks went flying with the monsters as Daruk sent a mighty shock wave by making the Divine Beast swing its tail to the ground. 

Daruk continued to experiment with the controls for a while until he finally announced that he was starting to figure out the Divine Beast. His proud proclaim, however, was only heard by Zelda. Impa was fussing over the Prince as he moaned in pain. 

“How much longer, Daruk?” Zelda called to the Goron. Hopefully, they will be done with this Divine Beast soon. 

“I just need to clear the way, but there are too many of them!” Daruk called back. “We will be stuck here forever if I pick them off one by one!” 

“Please, no,” The Prince weakly mumbled. 

The little guardian seemed to sense their distress and came forward to Daruk. It sang a little tune. 

“What’s that?” Daruk asked. “What’s it saying?” 

Zelda helplessly shrugged as the little guardian sang the tune again. It was a strange tune, some odd combination of a battle song sang in taverns and a lullaby for remembrance. As the little guardian sang the music again, Zelda held a familiar  _ ping! _ of the Sheikah Slate. 

“My Prince!” Zelda came forward and reached for the slate. “May I?” 

Prince Link gave a weak nod before doubling down in pain. Zelda felt a wave of sympathy at his motion sickness before moving back to Daruk and held up the screen for the Goron to see. “Look! I think that if you follow the commands written here, then it might help us out.” 

“You think so?”

“We won’t know until we try it.” 

Daruk blinked before laughing. “Your father would be proud of your quick thinking, little one!” 

Zelda felt a wave of pride as Daruk followed the slate’s instructions. The Divine Beast stilled as Daruk put in the final command and tilted its head up. She gasped as she saw the head of Vah Rudania open itself like a flower blooming. A great laser shot out of the Divine Beast in a powerful blast. Zelda watched in amazement as it cut through the horde of monsters like a hot knife to butter. 

“Wow,” she muttered at the now empty Death Mountain as the laser’s energy died down. The Divine Beast lowered its head before closing to its original form. 

Daruk whooped. “No one can stop Vah Rudania and the Great Daruk!” 

* * *

It felt nice to be on the ground that won’t move and sway underneath you, and Zelda was sure that no one thought that more than Prince Link. He was doing better now that he was finally out of Vah Rudania. The color had returned to his cheeks and he seemed to be steady on his feet. Shame that his morning breakfast was lost in the process. 

“Well, that was unexpected, but we pulled through in the end,” Daruk said as he led them back to the city. “And you really proved yourself, eh, little one?” 

Zelda barely had the thought to prepare herself as Daruk’s large hand slapped down to her back. She stumbled forward as Daruk laughed again. 

“It was nothing,” she said as she righted herself up. “Anyone could have figured it out.” 

“But if you weren’t there, we probably would have stayed in Vah Rudania for who knows how long,” Impa argued. “You were absolutely fantastic, Zelda.”

The Prince gave an eager nod of agreement and Zelda felt herself flush. “Thank you,” she mumbled. 

“As for me piloting Vah Rudania,” Daruk turned to the Prince and Impa. “Well, go ahead and count the mighty Daruk in!” 

“Thank you, Daruk,” The Prince came forward and gave a polite bow. 

“Of course! We will crash that Calamity into smithereens,” he started to go on before stopping and turning back to the three. “Oh! I almost forgot. You must be starving all of that fighting.” 

Dread formed a pit at Zelda’s stomach. “No, we’re fine. You don’t have to—” 

“A little,” the Prince admitted. Zelda turned back to him, trying to shake her head subtly.  _ No, no, no. _

Daruk grinned. “Well! I know just the cure for that.” 

“Wait—” Zelda attempted to protest. But the prime rock roast was already on the Prince’s hands. Prince Link could barely look over the rock roast as he held it up. “Really, Daruk, you don’t have to —” 

“Nonsense, little one!” Daruk laughed. “I’m just sorry I didn’t bring enough for all of you.” 

“We could have bought something to eat in Goron City,” Impa put in. 

“Ah, we still got some distance to cover until then,” Daruk waved her off. “Dig in, little guy!” 

The Prince gave a nod. 

“Wait!” Zelda shouted. Maybe this is how she failed and spurned the little guardian to bend time itself to save the Prince. All because she couldn’t stop Daruk from feeding him some rocks. 

She winced as the Prince bit into the rock roast with a loud crunch and gaped as he chewed. He easily swallowed the roast before biting down again.

“How?” Zelda stuttered. “It’s  _ rocks _ .” 

“I don’t know,” Impa said wearily. “But he’s been able to do that for a long time now.” 

“I should have brought some for the both of you,” Daruk said, oblivious to their comments. “Next time, I will bring enough for all of you.” 

Zelda couldn’t bring herself to turn him down. “Thank you very much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more Champion!!!!!   
> and you know who it is ;)


	7. Mipha, The Zora Princess

Lanayru region was one of Zelda’s favorite places in Hyrule. Granted she wasn’t a fan of the thunderstorms and rain, but it was the area that she was the most familiar with. From so many of her mother’s trips to the Zora Domain, Zelda had practically memorized the place and knew it like the back of her hand. 

Prince Link was granted an audience with King Dorephan without a hitch as they arrived in the Zora Domain. 

There was no need for Zelda to remain by his side during that. The Zora and Hylians had the best alliance in the Hyrule. No danger would fall onto the Prince while Zelda is absent from his side. Despite her concerns of the Prince’s supposed danger in the future, Zelda eagerly took the small break she was granted by reexploring the Domain and catching up with her old friend. 

“Well, Zelda,” Mipha said with her signature grace. “You’ve grown since I last saw you.” 

Zelda relaxed at the familiarity of Mipha’s voice. “You really think so?” 

“Ah,” Mipha sighed. “But you have not changed a bit.” 

“Now what is that supposed to mean, Princess?” 

“I meant it in a good way!” 

Zelda frowned at the Zora princess before smiling. “I missed you, Mipha.” 

“I could say the same to you, Zelda. Things have grown quiet around here since you decided to become a knight,” Mipha said before gasping. She lowered herself down to the little guardian. Zelda had been surprised by its insistence to follow her around the Domain instead of staying with Prince Link. “This creature is a...guardian?” 

“A rare one according to the Sheikah scientists,” Zelda answered. “They only managed to find one model of this some time ago.” 

Mipha tilted her head with a hum. “How long ago?” 

“Not too long. It was when Robbie was still a student.” 

“And when you were just a child,” Mipha said, standing up. “Perhaps your—” 

“Princess Mipha!” A Zora guard interrupted the Princess’s musing. “Monsters on Ploymus Mountain marching this way.” 

Mipha only gave herself a brief moment of surprise before shifting into her role as the princess. “And what of my father?” 

“His Majesty is leading the army to intercept,” the guard’s face shifted to confusion before quickly turning to panic. “He… he thought the Prince was with you?”

“Sidon is missing?” Mipha asked, her calm mask slipping. 

The little guardian moved toward the Princess, gave a little spin mid-air, and sang a short tune. 

“I will help you find him,” Zelda came forward. “He could not have gotten far.” 

“Zelda… thank you,” Mipha gave a nod before turning to the guard, her calmness restored. “We will find Sidon. You watch over the Domain.” 

“Highness,” the guard saluted before moving away. 

“We must find Sidon as quickly as we can,” Mipha said. “As we go, I’ll tend the wounded. Please, cover me.” 

“Of course,” Zelda nodded. “Don’t stray too far from me, Mipha. The monsters could have shock arrows.”

“Zelda!” she looked up to find Impa and Prince Link running towards her. Impa came to a stop and gave a customary bow to Mipha. “We heard of the invaders. Princess Mipha, we will keep you safe as we fight off the invaders.”

“Thank you,” Mipha bowed back. “And Prince, please stay in the Domain for safety.” 

Zelda couldn’t fight off the smile as Prince Link stubbornly refused with a shake of his head. 

“He will be fine,” Zelda said. “The Prince is capable of defending himself with the Sheikah Slate. And I will be here to protect him if any danger rises.” The little guardian gave a loud toot. “And our little friend will defend him as well, Mipha” she amended. 

“Mipha?” The Prince repeated. 

“Oh, sorry I forgot to say,” Zelda quickly realized. “I visited the Zora Domain regularly as a child and Mipha is a good friend of mine.” 

“I see,” the Prince muttered, his shoulders falling a little. 

“Well it’s a good thing our Zelda only has bad blood with only one of our candidates then,” Impa joked. 

“I see you met Revali,” Mipha laughed. “I heard stories about him.” 

“We will tell you everything after we find Sidon,” Zelda said. “We should focus on the fight up ahead.” 

“Right,” Mipha straightened up. “Lead the way, Zelda.” 

Zelda’s fears were right. The monsters invading the Domain possessed shock arrows with an electric wizzrobe amongst them. She had managed to cut down the wizzrobe just in time to save the paralyzed Zora Captain. 

“Have you seen Prince Sidon around here?” Mipha asked the captain. “I am looking for him.” 

“Prince Sidon?” The Zora Captain said weakly. “No, he was not seen around the Domain.”

“Oh, where could he have gotten to?” 

“Don’t lose hope yet, Mipha,” Zelda said. “We still have a chance.” 

“You’re right,” Mipha stood up. “He can’t be too far from here.” 

“Princess Mipha, wait!” The Zora Captain stopped her. “It’s not safe for you here with the electrical attacks.”

Zelda stopped. “Perhaps it would be for the best if you stay at the Domain. We can search for Sidon ourselves.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Zelda!” Mipha protested. “There is no way I am letting you fight without me. And there definitely is no way that I will let those invaders run rampant in my Domain!”

Now that she thought about it, Zelda couldn’t believe she missed the similarities between Prince Link and Mipha. They were both surprisingly stubborn and refused to sit back while everyone else fought. It was a little funny. 

“Monsters! ” a guard shouted. “Monsters have appeared on the Domain!”

“What?!” Mipha gasped. “This must have been their plan all along!” 

Zelda doubted that. Monsters had limited intelligence that only went up to making shelters or watchtowers. A strategized invasion like this would need a third party. She thought of the guardian that Revali had told her in Rito Village. Could it be involved with this invasion as well?

“The Domain is in peril!” Mipha ordered the soldiers. “Divide our forces! Strike on two fronts!” 

Zelda followed the orders with the rest of the soldiers. But she kept the Prince’s safety in mind as she ambushed a moblin. He might not be as sensitive to electricity as the Zora, but Zelda wasn’t taking any chances. He remained as skilled as ever with his unusual way of combat. There were flaws in his stance, but Zelda had to admit she was impressed with him. His creativity and determination made a regular soldier pale in comparison to him in combat. 

“Your Highness!” A Zora captain called Mipha. “Prince Sidon has been spotted heading to Ploymus Mountain!” 

Zelda stopped at the announcement. Why would Sidon head there of all places? Did he not know about the warnings?

“Not there!” Mipha shouted in panic before rushing off. “We have to bring him back!” 

“Mipha, wait!” Zelda followed after her. “It’s dangerous for you too!” 

But the Zora Princess was already running off, completely ignoring Zelda’s warning. Zelda didn’t hesitate to chase after her friend. She could never forgive herself if something happened to her. 

The climb up the mountain had just as many monsters as the ones invading the Domain. Zelda didn’t bother stopping to clear camps or face off against the moblins, the main concern was Sidon’s safety. She heard an explosion behind her and looked back to find Prince Link fighting not too far from her. 

“Go back to the Domain,” Zelda called to the Prince. “Where is Impa?” 

“Helping the soldiers clear an outpost,” the Prince said. 

“Well, go back to her!” she argued. “There is a lynel up there.” 

Prince Link’s eyes widened slightly. “Then why would Prince Sidon go?” 

“I don’t know,” Zelda admitted. “But I can’t risk you getting hurt!” 

“I will be fine, Zelda. But we can’t waste arguing right now.” 

That was true. Zelda gave a weak sigh before nodding. “Fine. But promise me that you will run when you are in danger.” 

“I promise,” the Prince said solemnly. 

Zelda had no time to make him swear to be honest about his promise. “Stay behind me and don’t go too far.” 

The lynel was as large as Zelda had expected. She had fought lynels before but never alone. And never while protecting someone. 

“Sidon!” Mipha’s scream cut through the mountains, grabbing the monster’s attention. The lynel spun around to meet them with a roar, its sword brandished and his shield held out. 

Zelda had almost missed the little prince until she saw the shine of a silver spear. The weapon was near twice his size but Sidon held fast to it, facing off against the lynel. 

“You beast!” Mipha snarled. “You will not lay a finger on Sidon!”

She moved forward to attack before Zelda could. Mipha’s trident caught the moonlight as she furiously swiped at the lynel. She managed to land a good few hits before the monster started to fight back. It reared up to its hind legs and swung its sword in a powerful arc. 

Zelda charged forward then. She met its swing and winced as the shock trembled through her shield and up to her shoulders. Mipha didn’t stop as she attacked the lynel with unwavering fury. 

The little guardian had proved itself to be very useful in the fight again, giving both Zelda and Mipha the power of the Sheikah runes. Yet despite the additional advantage, the lynel remained steadfast and continued its powerful attacks. 

Zelda went to meet every attack the lynel threw but hesitated as it backed away, creating a noticeable distance. She realized what it was planning too late as it drew out its bow. But Mipha hadn’t as she attempted to close the distance. 

“Mipha!” Zelda shouted. The Zora princess momentarily faltered in her steps as she noticed the yellow-tipped arrows. The lynel nocked the arrow as she attempted to scramble away. It pulled back the bow’s string and Zelda finally made herself move to Mipha. “No!” 

The arrow flew through the air as the lynel released with a growl. Prince Link shouted in panic. And Mipha screamed as the arrow hit her. 

Zelda’s felt instinct kick in before she could fully figure out what was happening. She felt her sword make contact with the beast before she pulled back, barely dodging the lynel’s own swing. All she saw was red. The sky, the beast’s eyes, the blood on her hands and armor. Her body moved entirely on instinct taking advantage of anything that looked remotely like an opening. 

She couldn’t hear anything but the blood rushing to her ears and her heart thrumming like drums, playing to the rhythm of a violent bloodthirsty song. And she followed its rhythm. 

The taste of salt and metal on her tongue followed by the bitterness of the dirt. The stars danced around in her vision, but she only spat out the dirt and bit her tongue to stay awake. She was up on her feet in seconds, charging in again. The song called to her. It’s beat luring her in like a siren. 

Claws snatched her away, dragging her away from the music. 

She trashed against its grip, feeling herself being yanked to the ground. Her eyes watered as her face meets the ground roughly. The song was shifting away now. Away from her. 

“Zelda.” 

Arms wrap around her body, forcing her to stay still. She threw out her arms anyway, kicking out her legs to go back. 

“It’s okay. She’s okay.” 

The song has nearly faded away now. 

“Breathe with me, Zelda. One, two, three…” 

The voice counts, soothing her. And she listens to it, the silence is too unbearable to bear. 

“...eight, nine, ten. Exhale slowly with me now.” 

She does as she is told and the red fades away. 

Zelda notices the blue first. Beautiful as the clear summer sky. The grip remained, grounding her to reality. 

“Are you hurt, Zelda?” 

She blinks hard to clear her sight, trying to figure out where she is and what she was doing. 

Link was in front of her, his lips pulled into a thin concerned frown. She twisted around to find Impa looking down at her with the same concerned expression and arms wrapped tight around her. 

“What—” Zelda attempts to ask only for it to come out in a rasp. “What—?” 

“It’s okay,” Impa hushed her, hugging her tight. “You’re alright now.” 

“I—” 

“Zelda,” Link gently pushed her hair away from her face. “Are you alright?” 

She blinked at the question, trying to decipher what he meant. The last thing she remembered was Link’s promise to her, finding Sidon facing against the lynel, and Mipha charging in. Only to be struck by an electric arrow. 

“Mipha!” Zelda screamed, trying to break from Impa’s grip. “Mipha! Mipha!” 

“Stop!” Impa held her tighter. “You’ll hurt yourself.” 

But she didn’t stop as she continued to thrash. Her eyes desperately scanning the area for her friend. “Mipha!” 

“Zelda!” a familiar voice brought her to a stop. “It’s okay. I’m right here.” 

Zelda looked up to find her friend running to her. Mipha dropped down in front of her as Link quietly moved aside.

“I’m so sorry,” Mipha cried. “I didn’t mean to worry you!” 

Zelda shifted to hug her friend with a cry. She felt Impa’s arms loosen around her and let her weight shift to Mipha as she sobbed. Her breaths eventually evened as she lay in her friend’s arms and her heart slowly grew quieter. 

She gently pulled away from Mipha. “How—?” 

“Impa had an elixir on her,” Mipha explained. “She managed to get to me just in time.” 

“And Sidon?”

“He’s fine,” Mipha comforted her. “Not a scratch on him.” 

Zelda sighed before completely pulling away. “I am guessing the lynel fled then?”

She felt Impa stiffen behind her and heard Link softly gasp. Mipha only smiled sadly. “No. You killed it, Zelda.” 

“What?” 

“Impa had to pull away from its body.” 

Zelda’s mind whirled at the Mipha’s words. “But—” 

“The lynel knocked you down only once to flee. But you managed to finish it off anyway.” 

“That can’t be it—” Zelda stood up only to find her legs too weak. “I only managed to get a few hits in.” 

“We all saw it,” Impa said. “You managed to kill that lynel alone.” 

“But—” Zelda was interrupted by a loud persistent beeping. She twisted around to find the little guardian standing on the edge of the cliff facing the Zora Domain. Mipha stood up first, joining the little guardian’s side. Zelda attempted to follow only to collapse again. 

“Here,” Impa offered her a hand. “Let me.”

Zelda graciously accepted it, muttering thank yous. Link followed not too far from her. She faltered at the horror seen below. 

“Oh no,” Mipha whispered, clutching her trident tightly. 

Monsters were marching to the Domain, hundred — no thousands— more than the once they had fought and warded off. Zelda even managed to spot several lynels amongst the crowd. Her heart fell to her stomach in despair. 

Before Zelda could say anything, the little guardian let out a series of beeps and toots to get their attention. She looked down to find it facing Prince Link while still letting out little beeps. 

“Prince,” Impa said. “Your slate.” 

Prince Link reached down to the glowing slate and held it up for all of them to see. 

“What is that?” Mipha asked, tilting her head to the side. But Zelda could recognize it from her father’s notes. 

“Vah Ruta,” she softly breathed out. “Mipha you need to board Vah Ruta and save your home.” 

“Me?” Mipha asked. “But, I thought that—” 

“It has to be you. I can think of no better pilot for the gentle giant.” 

Mipha still hesitated and looked down at her brother. “But if I leave then …” 

“We will look after him for you,” Zelda said. “You go save your home and we will do our best to keep your brother safe.” 

The Zora Princess tore her eyes away from Sidon to Zelda. “Promise?” 

“I promise,” Zelda swore. “But you need to go now or it will be too late.” 

“Alright,” Mipha nodded and turned back to her brother. “Don’t go too far from Zelda, alright? I will be right back.” 

“I want to come too!” Sidon protested. 

“No,” Mipha shook her head. “Stay here and keep Zelda safe. They need you as you need them right now.” 

Sidon stopped and looked at Zelda. She had the sneaking suspicion that he was easily won over by her weakened appearance as he gave his sister a nod. 

“I am so lucky,” Mipha smiled. “To have a brother as brave as you.”

* * *

King Dorephan had defended the home bravely and led his soldiers with pride. And yet, they would not have won the battle if it wasn’t for Mipha and Vah Ruta. 

Zelda watched Vah Ruta storm through the monsters with ease. She had been inside Vah Rudania when it was being used in battle. But watching it from afar like this was another story. She could feel the power of the Divine Beast as it flicked aside monsters like mere insects and rained down on them with blocks of ice and beams of lasers. 

With not one but four of these beasts in their arsenal, they should be able to win against the Calamity. And yet… 

She glanced at Prince Link with a frown. What had happened during the Calamity? 

The Prince turned to Zelda and met her eyes. 

“Apologies, Your Highness” Zelda whirled away hard enough to hurt her neck. “I did not mean to stare.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“I am sorry you had to see that side of me.” 

There was a pause. “Are you hurt?” 

She clenched her hands tightly. “Did I hurt you?” 

“No.” 

“Truly?” 

“Zelda,” the prince said firmly. “You didn’t hurt me.” 

She hoped that was true. But the grim possibility had settled into her mind of just why the little guardian traveled through time to save Prince Link. 

* * *

Zelda managed to go back to her full strength the next day after a good night of dreamless sleep. The Zora Domain had thanked them profusely for their service and spared no expense to accommodate them for the night. Two things for Zelda to thank the Goddess Hylia. She gave a quick morning prayer before preparing for the day. 

As Zelda made her way out of her quarters, she detected that she was being watched. She slowed her steps and heard another set of footsteps. It was too light to be a grown Zora or a Hylian. She turned around to find the young prince following her. 

She smiled and kneeled down to make eye contact with Sidon. “Can I help you, Your Highness?” 

Sidon clasped his hands, his eyes drifting away from her shily. He quietly mumbled something. 

“I am sorry, Prince Sidon,” Zelda tilted her head. “Could you speak up for me please?” 

“Teach me how to fight.” 

Zelda stopped. “Teach you…?” 

“Like how you killed that lynel!” Sidon said eagerly. “You were so strong and powerful. I wanna fight like that!” 

She had not been expecting that. “May I ask why?” 

“If Mipha has to leave, then it would be up to me to protect the Domain. So, please. Teach me.” 

The way she fought was nothing to be proud of. It was uncontrollable and violent that did more harm than good. She had spent years trying to suppress it under her mentors’ tutelage, including her mother’s. 

But the way Sidon looked stopped her. There was no way she could say no without breaking his and her own heart. “If only Mipha and your father allow it,” she surrendered. “I will teach you the basics with a sword.” 

Sidon perked up like a flower. “Really?” 

“Really,” Zelda nodded and changed the topic. “But could you show me where the throne room is? I seem to have forgotten my way.” 

“You forgot?” Sidon giggled. “You have been here thousands of times! But okay, I will show you the way.” 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” 

Sidon eagerly grabbed her hand and dragged her to her destination. The Zora king had requested another audience with Prince Link and this time Mipha was expected to attend. Prince Link and Impa had both insisted on Zelda taking a break but she had refused. She had already given her greetings to old friends in the Domain and with Mipha being busy, there was nothing for her to do at the moment besides her job. 

Sidon burst into the throne room loudly, making Zelda cringe. She gave a small wave to the elderly Zora and the king, who was the only one who looked amused besides Mipha. Prince Link and Impa frowned in unison as they saw Zelda move to their side.

“I bought Zelda!” The little prince announced to the room full of advisors and royals. 

“Well done, my boy!” The king said merrily. “Serving our guests so well is a good sign of a prince.” 

Sidon gave his little smile as he moved beside Mipha. With everyone in attendance, the advisors started to speak about yesterday’s invasion. Zelda tried to keep her face straight but couldn’t fight off the smile as she saw Sidon starting to doze while standing up. Mipha met Zelda’s eyes and shared her smile as her brother started to lean on her. 

“Prince Link,” the king called suddenly. “Please come forward.” 

Zelda watched Prince Link step forward to the throne. The king was considerate of the Prince’s preferred silence. Zelda still wasn’t sure why the Prince chose to remain quiet in the general public, but she was grateful for the king doing most of the talking while giving the Prince plenty of room to step in when he wished. 

“Yesterday’s attack proves your point,” the king spoke. “We are woefully unprepared to defend against the Calamity. The Zora will face the peril head-on. We must consider the future.” 

Zelda didn’t miss the way the king’s eyes drifted towards Sidon. 

“We all share the land of Hyrule,” the king continued. “So we all must do our part. Mipha, attend.” 

“Yes, Father,” Mipha gave a quick nod before stepping forward, Prince Link silently moved away from her with a polite bow, allowing the king to turn his attention to his daughter. Zelda heard a soft exhale from Mipha before she faced her father. 

“You will become the pilot of the Divine Beast, Vah Ruta,” the king said and Mipha smiled with pride. Zelda recalled all the letters she received from Mipha about her dreaming of piloting the Divine Beast. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had been volunteering before Prince Link had been sent out. 

“On one condition…” the king stood from his throne and looked down at his daughter. His eyes grew misty as he took a brief pause. “You must promise to come back safely.” 

Zelda blinked hard again. Her mother had said the same when Zelda left her home. Promises like these didn’t mean much, but they can be reassuring for both ends. 

Mipha smiled and gave a nod. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I was pretty disappointed that the lynel of Ploymus Mountain just flees in Age of Calamity, so I thought it would be more fun if Zelda went ape shit and killed it 
> 
> Also, I have been planning to keep the early chapters similar to the game since I do think that the beginning of AOC does a good job setting up the plot and introducing the characters. But the more I tried to stay true to the game, the more bored I grew trying to write it. Currently, I am drafting the Freeing Korok Forest arc and I can say that the plot will start to diverge from the game slowly after that chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more in the future!


	8. Destiny's Course

Revali shut his diary as he heard the scouts land. He shot them a questioning glance only to receive a shake of a head and shrugs. Frustration prickled through him again as he dismissed the scouts. 

He slowly made his way out of the shelter, shivering from the snowstorm. He scowled and tugged his scarf higher up before summoning his updraft. He ignored the gapes of amazement and few awes as he ascended through the air. 

Despite the reverence from the fellow Ritos, Revali couldn’t fight off the frown as he felt his wings tip with uncertainty. He fought to keep his balance before finally allowing himself to glide with the winds. 

He should go back to the training range to practice this move some more. Now that he was one of the chosen to fight back against the Calamity there should be no room for error. But still, the scouting and guarding took top priority after all. 

Revali shivered again at the memory of that guardian. It had nearly led to the downfall of Rito Village with its army of monsters. He hadn’t even known it was possible for an Ancient Sheikah technology to cause so much harm in a manner like that. Just what was controlling that thing?

Bah, that wasn’t his area of expertise. He should send out those Sheikah scientists to find out more. His duties lied elsewhere. 

He circled the area one more time before flying back to the Rito stronghold. The Rito warriors stood straighter as he landed smoothly. “Anything, Master Revali?” 

“Nothing,” Revali answered, making his way closer to the fire. “Send in the next scout team.” 

He heard them take off as he reopened his diary and recounted his day. 

The Prince had visited with that insufferable Zelda in tow. She was one of Hyrule’s many knights now as she said she would be. She hadn’t changed the bit since then. Still the same arrogant girl that talked too much. Revali scowled at the memory of their fight. Another reason to train harder than ever. It had come too close to his defeat. He will be stronger and faster the next time they duel against each other. The sight of her defeat was already lifting his mood. 

And on a brighter note, the Prince had finally stopped dawdling and asked Revali to pilot Vah Medoh. Really there was no one better than Revali to fight against the Calamity. He had known that since the machine was excavated. Though his role is nothing but a back up to some Hylian knight. 

Him! A sidekick! 

Hmm. 

Perhaps he should have refused then. 

But, the Prince had been insistent despite his infamous silence. His attendant spoke of protecting the life of Hyrule from the Calamity’s grasp. How corny… 

Revali didn’t think he could ever forget how the Prince gazed at him at the Sheikah’s words. He believed it with all his heart. That certainly caught Revali by surprise. He had always assumed that Hylians only cared about themselves with their supposed favor from the Gods. The fables and legends certainly hadn’t helped in inflating their ego. But Prince Link appeared to be an exception. 

With such a display of selflessness, there is no way Revali can refuse. It certainly was amusing to see the prince look so overjoyed with Revali’s answer.

Well, wait until he sees Revali when he masters this new move. Then he and that knight would practically be begging Revali to fight the Calamity to save Hyrule. Perhaps that’s how they can change the future.

* * *

Urbosa set her pen down to massage her temples. She had expected the uneasiness from her people as she announced her acceptance to pilot Vah Naboris. They had argued that as the Chief, it shouldn’t be up to her to take part in such a dangerous task. But today’s chaos with the Yiga Clan had only added determination to accept the task. 

The Gerudo had let the Yiga Clan run on for too long. They had crossed the line today by stepping into her town and defiling their home. Urbosa tightened her jaw at the memory of that pathetic excuse for a chief to raise his weapon against Little Pup. She was fortunate to arrive just in time and put a stop to it. 

But that wasn’t enough, Urbosa wanted more. She wanted to tear apart the Yiga Clan and burn down their disgusting little hideout. She wanted to turn Ganon to crisp for poisoning the Gerudo's proud history and humiliating their ancestors. She wanted justice. 

She had stood in front of the Divine Beast herself and felt its power. Piloting Vah Naboris should be enough to grant her everything that she wished. But most importantly, it will allow her to assist Little Pup as he meets his destiny. Or to avoid it.

Urbosa wrung her hands and brought them up to her lips. 

“Can you hear me?” she prayed. “Are you watching over us?” 

The room remained silent. 

“Little Pup showed me the images that the guardian from the future brought. And I must admit, I was terrified.” Urbosa shivered at the sight of destruction. “I can’t imagine a world where I would turn down his offer to pilot Vah Naboris. So were all my efforts for nothing?” 

Her grip tightened. 

“No, that can’t be it. I will continue to fight harder than ever. We were given a second chance by some miracle and I won’t squander it. Keep waiting for me because I am not ready to see you yet. Not until I know our child will be safe in the hands of destiny. Look after him, my dearest. Look after Link.” 

* * *

The only thing in Daruk’s mind were rock roasts. So he wrote about rock roasts. Until he remembered the little prince’s visit. Turns out Hylians are capable of eating rocks as well. 

He wrote of Zelda as well. She had grown since he had last seen her. All mighty and serious as a knight. Her father would be proud of her. 

But those images that the Prince showed him was worrying. Hyrule’s Castle overrun with darkness as Castle Town burned. This battle was not the one to take lightly. 

But the future wasn’t set in stone. Daruk is just going to have to train harder now. With the four large mechanical beasts, the knight, and the Prince’s powers, there is no reason why they can’t win. 

Hopefully, the destruction of Castle Town won’t spread to the rest of Hyrule. The Gorons were a mighty tough bunch, but Daruk still felt the worry gnaw his heart. His son was still young, but maybe Daruk should dedicate more time to training him as well. Just to be safe. 

A loud growl startled Daruk out of his writing. He turned around to find the source of the noise only to realize it’s coming from his stomach. A laugh escaped him as he slowly stood up, all that writing is making him hungry. 

* * *

Mipha sighed in relief as she heard her brother softly snoring. It had taken every bit of her patience to make him go to sleep. But she had won in the end. She quietly opened her diary and reached for a pen. So much has happened today. Where should she begin?

Zelda had visited the Domain and she had changed so much. She was no longer the little carefree kid that ran around the Domain, she was a formidable knight that served Hyrule. Mipha couldn’t be prouder. 

But there seemed to be a weight on Zelda’s shoulders now. How hard she worked and how little she smiled compared to back then, it’s very hard to miss. She had been through so much in so little time. The change was inevitable. 

Her swordsmanship had changed as well. Mipha didn’t think that it was possible but Zelda had gotten much stronger than she was before. The death of the lynel in Ploymus Mountain had proven that. 

Mipha was sure that she was a goner as the shock arrow hit her. All she could feel was stabbing pain that coursed through her body. She was forever grateful to Impa for running to her aid. 

When she came to, she wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But she saw Zelda still fighting that lynel. There was a deadly gleam in her eyes as she ended the lynel swiftly. The way she moved was absolutely fascinating. Mipha supposed that she should be terrified, but she felt safe within the presence of her dear friend. 

Apparently, Sidon had felt the same. He wouldn’t stop pleading with Mipha to allow Zelda to train him with the sword. It was all he talked about all day until Mipha finally gave her permission during supper. 

Truthfully, it sounded like a wonderful idea. Mipha could see Zelda’s strength and skill at a closer distance in the safety of the Domain. And perhaps, spend more time with her before the Calamity strikes. 

Mipha’s heart grew cold in worry at the thought of the ancient being of hate and destruction. Prince Link had shown her the images of Castle Town after the rise of Calamity Ganon. It was tempting to be dismayed at the sight of the once proud town burn to ash, but no, she must focus. 

In fact, the images were all the more reason to pilot Vah Ruta. She cannot allow such horror to unfold in her Domain. The images may be from the future, but the future can always be changed. 

She requested Prince Link to keep the images a secret from her father. Her father may take back his blessing of her piloting Vah Ruta from fear. But they have no room for fear, they must move forward to meet their destiny and rewrite it. 

But despite her determination, she couldn’t fight back the bitter regret. She looked back to the sleeping Sidon, feeling her heartache. 

* * *

Link stared out the window of his study. He had only just arrived at the castle, but he was already longing to travel around Hyrule again. 

It was a strange longing. He had all the comfort he could ever ask for here. But something about sleeping in different inns and walking on the dirt paved paths was exciting. But he was only allowed out for his diplomatic trips to the Champions as their commander and the travels to the dreaded holy springs. 

How wonderful it must be to be a traveler that comes and leaves on their own whims. Learning something new, meeting strange people, and finding something you had never even imagined before. But he had his duty to fulfill the kingdom. 

It was a calculated risk to show the pilots the images of Calamity’s destruction. Impa was concerned that it would bring down the pilots’ morale and discourage them. But Link didn’t want to send them off to an uncertain future without that heavy knowledge. They needed to know what they were facing and be reminded of why they must fight. But it was still a relief to know that they were still willing to pilot the Divine Beasts. 

Would the Hero think the same?

Link had no plan to keep the images a secret from the knight that seals the darkness. If they truly were the embodiment of courage and loyalty, then they would not hesitate to accept the task to change the future. At least, that’s what Link hoped. 

Despite his choice to share the images with the pilots, he knew the mass hysteria and panic that would spread if it came out in a public light. He still regretted not dismissing Zelda when he arrived at the lab, even if she swore that everything she had seen would not be told to anyone. She didn’t seem to be the type of knight that would gossip. 

But his father wasn’t the type to take risks. Link had seen right through his decision to promote Zelda as Link's bodyguard. With Impa’s watchful eye and being constantly kept on duty from the travels, the chances of her spreading the news of Castle Town’s supposed doom were minimized. It was a clever tactic really. 

However, Zelda had proven herself to be worthy to bear such a heavy secret. Impa had reported to the king about Zelda’s unwavering loyalty to keep him safe and knew for certain that Zelda was indeed trustworthy. 

Link realized with a start that he had already trusted Zelda. She had sworn to keep the images a secret as a knight and Link had taken her words for it. When did he come to trust her so easily? 

Perhaps it was when she saved him from that rogue guardian. Link hadn’t even noticed the danger when she had shoved him back to take the laser. And he had been too stunned to properly thank her or even realize how quickly he came to trust her then. 

Well, whatever the reason is, he can figure it out later. 

He reached over to the dark heavy bound book and opened it to his bookmarked page. His main goal right now should be finding the knight that seals the darkness. 

* * *

“Doctor?” a voice quietly prodded.

Purah ignored the question, glaring down at the visuals. She was so close. 

“Doctor?” the voice prodded again, slightly more insistent this time. 

She frowned and leaned down to her work. Maybe if she rewrote this line and moved this formula there. The Sheikah Slate gave a little  _ beep! _ as Purah whooped in victory. She still had a way to go before unlocking this rune, but this was progress. 

“ _ Doctor _ .” 

Purah looked over her shoulder with an annoyed scowl. “What?” 

The Sheikah Scholar flinched at her tone. “A letter for you, Doctor.” 

An exasperated sigh escaped her as she held up her hand. “What? From the king again?” 

“No,” the scholar nervously fidgeted as they handed over the letter. “From Kakariko Village.” 

That captured her full attention. Purah snatched the letter from the scholar’s hand and removed her glasses, squinting down on the dark ink. Her heart gave a nervous stutter as she read the sender’s name. This better not be what she thinks it is.

She scanned the lines of ink, feeling her heart drop at each word confirming her fears. She read it again to make sure she was reading right. 

“Hylia, dammit!” Purah slammed her fist down to the table. The sharp jolt of pain brought her back to reality. She hadn’t noticed that she was shaking until she unclenched her hand. 

Now, why was she acting like this? She had predicted this months ago with hours and hours of research. She was right. But at the moment, she would give anything in the world to be wrong. 

“Doctor?” the scholar weakly said. “Is everything alright?” 

No, nothing was alright. The Calamity was looming over their shoulders and this letter—this information—had worsened everything. It was  _ so  _ not fair. 

But despite her turmoil, Purah smiled. “Oh, just some matter I have to take care of.”

The scholar looked alarmed as they stuttered some more. “But, I was told that you would—” 

“Never mind that,” Purah stood from her desk and stretched. “Let Robbie look over my notes, he’ll know what to do.” 

“And what — if I may ask — are you planning to do?”

That was a good question. Purah twirled her glasses, trying to think. 

Well, this case was less than ideal and quite urgent. But she shouldn’t stop working just because of that. There was already a laundry list of things to do. 

“I’ll drop by the tower to collect some data,” Purah nodded at her conclusion. “I’ll try to decipher what I can while I am away.” 

“And what should I tell Doctor Robbie?” 

“Don’t bother telling him anything. He’ll know why I left.” 

The scholar gave a short bow as Purah dismissed them with a wave of a hand. She turned back to her work. Might as well finish this before preparing for her leave. 

She rewrote the numbers and the equations, moving the process forward. But there just wasn’t the same excitement that she had before. Her mind wandered away from the Sheikah Slate to the letter beside her. 

_ It is so unfair. _

She set her pencil down and buried her face in her hands. Throwing a tantrum like a child wasn’t going to help anybody. Besides, isn’t she going to be one to have it easy? 

It was unfair to Impa. Her little baby sister is the one that was going to suffer for this. 

And all because Purah couldn’t step up to her duty. 

A shaky gasp escaped from the scientist as she felt her eyes water. She wasn’t ready for what was going to happen. She doesn’t think that she could ever be ready. But the future has no plans on waiting for her. 

Purah slowly stood up, wiping her face away from any stray tears. Her sister needs her right now and Purah would be damned if she wasn’t around to support her. 

“Alright,” she slapped her cheeks and inhaled deeply. “Give a big smile now.” 

* * *

Sooga stood by his master’s side, making sure to keep one hand on his sword. 

“So,” the seer said across the table. “You turned and fled, is that it?” 

Master Kohga may trust this … man, but Sooga had his reservations. He was devoted to the Yiga Clan Elder, however, something about the seer made Sooga feel wary. Perhaps it was the seer’s unnaturally pale skin or his sunken eyes and cheeks that added to his grim look. But whatever the reason was, Sooga knew for absolutely certain that he did not like the seer. 

Master Kohga continued to hum. “Well, if they hadn’t interrupted me…” 

“It seems that, as low as my expectations of you were,” the seer interrupted Master Kohga. “I was overly optimistic.”

Master Kohga stopped humming and stood from his seat with an indignant shout. Sooga was already reaching for his sword at the show of such disrespect. 

“Well, no matter,” the seer stood as well but didn’t approach Master Kohga. He made his way to the pedestal with reverence in his eyes. Sooga fought back a shiver as the seer held up his crystal. “My harbinger… show me the future.” 

The round sized guardian turned its red orb onto the seer before screeching. Sooga fought the urge to shrink away at the noise as the cloud of Malice spread. The hazy material twisted through the air in swarms as the seer’s crystal started to glow. Master Kohga gasped in amazement as Sooga felt an acidic taste spread through his mouth. 

Constellations manifested from the seer’s crystal, waving the swarm of Malice to a smokescreen of imagery. Sooga had to squint to make out the image of the Castle’s towers. He had hoped and prayed to see Hyrule’s royalty to be torn apart and humiliated, but as he searched his heart, he found no joy in the image the Harbinger showed. 

“The future as it will be and must be,” the seer said. “I will not allow anyone to change its course.” 

Sooga tore his eyes away from the Castle’s destruction to the seer. There was a manic gleam in the seer’s eyes now as he stared into the image. The Yiga felt his lips twist into a disgusted frown but remained silent. 

The victory was within their grasp. Hyrule will fall, the royal family will be no more, and the Yiga will finally receive justice. Destiny has chosen their victors and it was not the Goddess’ kin. And yet, Sooga could not fight back the feeling of foreboding as the Malice continued to twist and writhe in the air. 

Victory might come at a cost. He turned towards Master Kohga, who still watched the images with silent awe. How far was the Yiga Clan willing to go for revenge? And what will they pay for their victory? 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess I'll make the photos of Hyrule's Castle being destroyed relevant myself cause it really should have been brought up more. 
> 
> Some parts from this chapter were meant to be the follow-up chapter after the respective Champions being introduced but they were too short to be stand-alone so I combined them and added a few extra stuff. There will be more chapters like this further down the line but the POV will mostly be Zelda's. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more!!


	9. The Attack!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Freeing Korok Forest is taking a lot out of me so here's a short chapter from the game that I was planning to skip but decided not to cause why not

The four Divine Beasts had been assembled and training had begun. Zelda didn’t know what exactly unfolded during the training. Her letters from Mipha had decreased in numbers and she hadn’t personally talked to Daruk since his first attempt at piloting Vah Rudania. And there was no way she was going to ask Revali. 

There was the option to ask Prince Link and Impa. But their sad mood had discouraged her. 

Despite the Prince’s tireless efforts, his sealing power had not awakened yet. A part of Zelda had been hoping that it would show itself when the Divine Beasts were assembled. But another part of her thought that it would take more. 

The one who had been most frustrated by the Prince’s lack of power had undoubtedly been King Rhoam. The minute after they had returned from their trip, he had immediately demanded to know of the Prince’s power. No words of praise were ever offered. 

“Whoa there!” Zelda jumped at the voice. She looked up to find Impa moving away from her. “I nearly ran into you, Zelda.” 

“Apologies, My Lady,” Zelda bowed. “I have received a summon from the Prince. I hear we are setting off to the Divine Beasts soon?” 

“That’s right,” Impa nodded. “And how is the tower?” 

“Royal Scientist Purah just came by for more data. But other than that, nothing has changed.” 

“I see,” Impa sighed. “It would be ideal if we could figure it out as soon as possible. But there is nothing I could do about it.” 

“Oh, and one more thing,” Zelda remembered. “Lady Purah had requested your presence in the lab. She says it’s urgent.” 

Impa frowned. “Did she tell you what it’s about?” 

“No, My Lady.” 

“It probably actually is urgent then,” Impa’s frown deepened. “Thank you, Zelda. Prepare to head out soon.” 

“Yes, My Lady,” Zelda bowed again as Impa continued her way. She won’t deny the familiarity that grew between her and Impa during the travels. But their return to the castle had prevented her from acting on it. Zelda was still a simple knight after all. 

She heard the familiar beeps of the little guardian and felt herself smile. It had been too long since she saw the little thing. Her excitement added on to the speed of her footsteps. 

“Father thinks that …. He thinks that the reason my ability hasn’t awakened is that I haven’t worked hard enough.” 

Zelda slowed her steps and frowned. 

“I imagine that when he visits the Divine Beasts,” she heard the Prince whisper some more. “He will say as much.” 

The little guardian’s blue orb turned to her as she slowly approached and gave a little toot. The Prince whirled back and met Zelda’s eyes, a small piece of Sheikah device was wrapped in his hands. 

“Your Highness,” Zelda bowed deeply. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” 

Prince Link remained silent and Zelda dared to look up. He stood where he was, his face had a slight flush to it as he looked down to the little guardian and right back up. The little guardian did that same, though there was a confused undertone. 

“If I may,” Zelda attempted. “I think you work hard enough, Your Highness.” 

“I…” Prince Link hesitated. “Could you not tell Impa about this?”

Zelda blinked. Impa was one of the people that knew him the best as far as Zelda could tell. If anyone could hear Prince Link’s struggles it should be her. 

“Of course,” Zelda said anyway. “I won’t say a word.” 

The Prince’s nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

* * *

Only Mipha and Daruk had accompanied their journey and Zelda gave the Goddess a quick prayer of thank you as she celebrated Revali’s absence. Impa, meanwhile, had looked torn as she breathlessly made Zelda promise to look after the Prince as she must head to Kakariko Village on an urgent business. She wasn’t sure why the Sheikah had to rush to her home village but from the way her brows were knitted in concern, Zelda didn’t think it was anything good. 

Prince Link hadn’t said a word to Zelda after her accidental eavesdropping. He had seemed even quieter without Impa accompanying him around now. Zelda wished that Impa had remained by the Prince’s side during the trip to cheer him up. She couldn’t recall the last time the Prince had smiled since arriving at the castle. It felt unusual to admit it, but she missed his smile.

Zelda heard a quiet laugh from Daruk and looked back to find the Goron grinning at her. Her eyes moved to Mipha who had jumped a little and looked away. Mipha had been a little odd as of late. She couldn’t seem to talk to Zelda without stuttering or needing to do some breathing exercises. Zelda hoped Mipha wasn’t pushing herself to pilot the Divine Beast. She should talk with the Zora Princess about that; it might not be in her place as a mere knight to talk about such things, but Mipha was her friend above everything else. 

Maybe now was a good time. Zelda slowed her steps to stand beside Mipha, straying away from the Prince’s side as far as she dared. “Mipha, I have been a little concerned lately.”

“What for?” 

“Well, I am not sure how to explain it. But I have been thinking a lot about you.”

Mipha’s footsteps faltered as Daruk hummed in amusement. “You have?” 

“Yes. I was wondering what you do to train for Vah Ruta.” 

The Zora’s face fell slightly at Zelda’s words. “Oh.” 

“Is something wrong?” 

“No, nothing,” Mipha said hurriedly. “Speaking of training, Daruk and I have been talking about a similar topic just now.” 

“Little one here wanted to learn more ways to fight,” Daruk explained. “I was more than happy to accept the offer.” 

It was a smart choice. Daruk was the oldest pilot of the Divine Beast, so it made sense for Mipha to seek him out for help. “You are a great teacher, Daruk. I am sure Mipha can learn plenty of combat from you.” 

“Ha!” The Goron laughed. “I know Mipha is seeking to learn more than that.”

Zelda tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

“You said a lot of good things about Daruk, Zelda,” Mipha said, looking surprisingly flustered. “How he was a great mentor that had taught you so much. So I just thought that...” 

Zelda sensed the danger before she saw it. She ran towards the Prince and shoved him to stand behind her. Prince Link let out an indignant cry of surprise from the sudden move but stopped as the Yiga Clan showed themselves. 

“What do they want now?” Zelda cursed and unsheathed her sword. She spotted another puff of smoke on the roof of the little house ahead of them. Sooga looked down at Prince Link, his arms crossed to a relaxed posture. 

“Your Highness,” he called down. “I bring news. It regards your death.” 

“You won’t harm him,” Zelda grit her teeth and moved forward. “Not while I am here.” 

She heard Sooga quietly scoff underneath his mask. “Remember, the prince is our target. Don’t waste your energy on the others.” 

The Yiga moved forth, their blades all aimed at Prince Link. Zelda batted aside a swipe of blade from one and quickly deflected a blow from another. The Prince had brought out his Sheikah Slate, throwing bombs to the Yiga that dared to approach to close. Zelda was honestly impressed by his ability to use the Sheikah Runes to get this far. She wondered what it would be like to use the ancient device in battle. It was probably way more fun than using a regular broadsword. 

She heard Mipha and Daruk fight not too far from her and fought the urge to look back. They were capable fighters that could handle themselves, she needed to worry about Link. 

She didn’t dare to stray too far from the Prince but found herself conflicted. The Yiga might have openly said that they had plans to assassinate him with their numbers but Zelda couldn’t rid of the worry worming into her heart. Why would the Yiga openly show themselves so theatrically? It was obviously for a distraction, but for what? 

Her question was quickly answered as she noticed the smoke. 

_ No _ . Her heart dropped to her stomach as she watched the fire spread from rooftop to rooftop. 

“Fire!” she screamed to the soldiers behind her. “Evacuate the people!” 

Chaos unfolded at her shouting. She witnessed Daruk and Mipha moving away from the fight to help the civilians escape their burning homes. The soldiers chased after the Yiga, hoping to control the damage. 

“Link,” Zelda reached him. “I need to get you out of here.” 

Before he could argue back, Zelda heard a puff of smoke and turned back to deflect Sooga’s attack. She attempted to strike back only to cut through the smoke. The Yiga was surprisingly fast despite his large build. His double blades sent gusts of powerful wind and hit with a nearly unbearable strength. Mipha and Daruk were too far to assist her and the knights were busy with the civilians. So it was up to her to go against Sooga. 

But unlike last time where she had briefly faced him, Zelda was at her full strength now. There was no hot desert sun to beat her down with the heat and there were no shifting sands to throw her off balance. 

Zelda quickly managed to gain the upper hand in the battle as she used the Sheikah runes to disrupt Sooga’s flow of attacks. The little guardian had proved itself to be effective in battle yet again as it circled around the Link defensively with angry toots and beeps. The Yiga master seemed to have noticed his disadvantage as he jumped away from Zelda and started to run. 

“Come back, coward!” Zelda shouted and followed after him. “I am not done yet.” 

She gained onto him quickly and swung her sword to strike. Sooga leaped from her attack nimbly and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Zelda whirled around, trying to catch a trace of that Yiga. She heard the little guardian beeping nervously as it stayed near Link, tilting its head side to side in nervousness.

She heard the Yiga before she saw him. 

Sooga leaped down from the roof, drawing his hand back and sending kunai through the air. The sun reflected the blades as it flew directly towards the Prince. 

“Link!” Zelda screamed at the petrified boy. 

The little guardian leaped up in the air, not hesitating to sacrifice itself for his well being. As it beeped with utmost courage and nobleness, Zelda shoved it aside and held her shield up. The blades harmlessly bounced off her shield before landing unceremoniously in the dirt. She heard Link shakily exhale as she pointed her sword at Sooga. 

“Hm,” Sooga said. “I suppose destiny is at work then.” 

“I told you,” Zelda scowled. “You won’t harm him. Not while I am here.”

“The future is fickle,” the Yiga murmured. “Perhaps, we should have planned more when it came to involve you.” He raised himself off the ground and looked around. “Yiga Clan! Time to go.” 

Before Zelda could move to strike Sooga, he was already gone. The surrounding Yiga followed after Sooga, disappearing in puffs of smoke until the town slowly became quiet. Zelda slowly sheathed her sword and stepped away from the Prince, scanning the nearby area again just to be sure the Yiga truly fled. 

“Zelda,” Prince Link stepped forward and stood beside her. “Um…”

“Are you hurt?” Zelda asked before stopping. “Your Highness.” 

“I—” 

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted as the little guardian beeped loudly. It indignantly kicked aside a discarded kunai as it skittered towards Zelda. 

“Oh dear,” Zelda said. “It appears that I am being scolded.” 

The little guardian’s indignant beeps didn’t stop as it pointed one of its little legs up at her. 

“Sorry,” she stepped away. “I didn’t mean to shove you away that hard.”

Her words only seemed to anger the little guardian more as it beeped even faster and jumped up into the air. She took another step back only to be followed by the relentless machine. 

“Look, if you would just let me—” Zelda was interrupted as the little guardian continued to leap up and down angrily while circling around her. “I said I was sorry!” 

She had no chances of escaping the lecture as the little guardian refused to move away from her. It continued its chiding and Zelda felt herself redden. Who can say that they have been lectured like this by an angry machine beside her? 

She heard a soft snort and looked up to find the Prince laughing at her little dilemma.

_ There’s that smile. _

He met her eyes and only seemed to laugh harder as the little guardian leaped up into the air again. Despite her embarrassing predicament, Zelda eventually joined the Prince’s laughing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok Freeing Korok Forest is next


	10. Freeing Korok Forest

The first order to the Divine Beast pilots was what everyone has been expecting: to seek out the sword that seals the darkness. That was the only missing piece that was crucial to take down Calamity Ganon. Though the order had been obvious, the task itself was no easy feat even if they are the strongest warriors of Hyrule. 

They were required to vanquish the monsters of Korok Forest, where the legendary blade slept. The forest, while being one of the holiest places in Hyrule, was infamous for its swarm of monsters even without Calamity Ganon’s influence. 

Prince Link had decided to accompany the pilots as he was their unofficial commander, despite his lack of experience in battle. Zelda had been automatically tasked with accompanying the pilots for she did always stay by his side. Impa, unfortunately, was absent from their task. Her issue in Kakariko Village had seemed to ground her there. Zelda still did not know why she had left in such a hurry, but it wasn’t her place to prod for answers. All she could do was wait and carry out her duties in Impa’s absence. 

“Hyrule’s king chose us to perform this pivotal task,” Revali stepped forward and Zelda immediately prayed to the Goddess to grant her patience. “It will be my honor to excel, as always.” His beady little eyes turned to her. 

_ Here we go. _

“Then there’s you, the one part that doesn’t add up,” he sneered. Zelda bit down on her tongue to remain silent. “Why should this nobody be trusted to lead us in the upcoming battle?” 

“I have been ordered by the king to protect the Prince,” Zelda answered, fighting to keep her tone professional. “As his assigned bodyguard, I do not—” 

“So you are acting as nothing but a loyal dog?” Revali interrupted her. “Is that all it took of you to be here?” 

“It doesn’t matter who’s the leader,” Daruk interrupted. We’re all in this together, right?” 

Zelda felt a surge of gratefulness at the Goron. She has no way to fight back against Revali’s jabs and provoking without stepping out of the line. But the other pilots could argue against him since they are his equal. 

“You are, of course, mistaken,” The Rito scoffed. “My Divine Beast is the key!” 

Well, Zelda was wrong to think that. Revali placed himself up too high to see himself as anyone’s equal. 

“Really now… it makes no sense.” 

No one else stepped up to argue against Revali and Zelda fought to keep the hurt off her face. She wasn’t sure which one caused her more pain, the fact that he was right or the fact that they were all wondering the same thing. 

“Well... my one comfort is that your  _ reputation… _ ” Revali sniggered “will be completely ruined once you fail!” 

“I would think that your failure would leave a bigger stain,” Zelda spat out before she could think. “Chosen by your own people and Hyrule’s royalty; you have a lot more people to disappoint than me.”

Revali only scoffed. “As if I care what Hyrule’s royalty thinks of me.” 

But Zelda didn’t miss the way he stiffened at her words, he was terrified of letting down his fellow Rito. “But I suppose that you don’t feel the same. I will enjoy seeing you being remembered as nothing but a fallen knight.” 

“Revali,” Chief Urbosa sighed. “How long will you expect us to put up with your prattle, hm?” 

Zelda clenched her fists, trying to hide its shaking. She attempted to breathe as quietly as she could to calm her hammering heart. 

“I’ve said enough,” Revali said with a happy little tilt in his voice. But Zelda could barely hear it from the blood rushing into her ears. “The time has come to show you what I am made of. Now witness… Vah Medoh’s divine power!” 

She felt the gust of wind as he took off to the air with his signature ability. The Divine Beast cried overhead, its power echoing through the mountains. But Zelda didn’t find it in her to tilt her head up and gaze at the Divine Beast. 

“Zelda,” Mipha came to her. “I—” 

“Never mind that,” Zelda cut her off, keeping her eyes up at Vah Medoh. “Just focus on the battle ahead.” 

* * *

“This is quite the fog…” Mipha said, her grip tight on her trident. 

It was still early in the morning when they had stepped into the woods, but not even the littlest amount of sunlight reached them. 

“Indeed,” Zelda nodded. “We could get lost if we are not careful.” 

“Are we even making progress?” Revali griped. “We could just be going in circles.” 

“Good point,” Daruk said in a tone that was almost sarcastic. “If only someone could fly above and scout the way.” 

Zelda didn’t bother to hide her snort.  _ Definitely sarcastic. _

“As though I could see anything in this muck,” Revali sniffed. “Honestly, do you ever think before you speak?” 

“Getting lost is the least of our worries,” Urbosa commented. “If we get attacked, we wouldn’t see it coming.” 

“Yes,” Zelda straightened her shoulders. “We must be prepared for even the most unusual —” She felt the others come to a stop. “Your Highness?”

The Prince was gaping up at a tree with leaves greener than any of the ones she had seen in the forest. Zelda blinked as the tree swung a pair of maracas around. No, not a tree...

“Shaka!” The Korok squealed. “Finally! Finally! Finally! Someone sees me! Shakala-laka!” 

Zelda moved toward the Prince unsure if she should be on guard or be friendly k. 

“Where did you come from?” Daruk asked with a confused frown. 

“And who are you?” Zelda put in. 

“I am the one who brings forth song and dance to the forest! Hestu!” 

“A korok,” Zelda muttered in fascination.

“Well, that’s great!” Daruk smiled. “Mind guiding us through the fog then?” 

Hestu slumped down with a sad sound. “Shoko… I’d love to get home myself. But there are scary mean monsters in the woods and I can’t get past them.” 

“You could probably sneak right past them if you didn’t have those noisy maracas,” Revali said with crossed wings. 

“Oh, never mind him,” Urbosa came forward with a gentle tone. “We have a business in the forest. If you can lead the way, we can handle the monsters for you.” 

Hestu perked up and shook their maracas with a happy rhythm. “Ooh really? Hooray!” They stopped and turned around. “In that case, follow! Follow!” 

Zelda met Mipha’s eyes and they made the same weary sigh. Something about Hestu’s childishness made Zelda doubt if the Korok could lead them properly in the forest. Mipha had spent long enough time with children to know how forgetful they can be. But what other choice did they have?

They followed Hestu further into the Korok Forest, still on guard for anything that could attack them. Zelda personally couldn’t find any landmarks or signs that would guide them to the Master Sword, but Hestu seemed confident with their direction. They still played their maraca, filling in the tense silence, and occasionally sang a song quietly. It would be adorable if it weren’t for the stifling fog. 

“Over here,” Hestu led them to a large fallen log. It was twice as tall as Zelda and wide enough to pass by if it was a gate. 

“That’s a dead-end,” Revali drily pointed out. 

“Actually you can pass through here,” Hestu said and played their maraca. The dead-end disappeared in a blink of an eye, revealing a pathway. 

“Fascinating,” Zelda gasped. “We never would have realized it without you.” 

“There were fables of guides that led the Hero through the Lost Woods,” the Prince said softly. “I suppose it does make sense for them to be Koroks.” Prince Link grew silent as Zelda turned back to face him. He blushed a deep red color and looked away. “Never mind.” 

“Do you have a fascination with history, Your Highness?” Zelda asked. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting his interests to be, but certainly not history. But she supposed it made sense for Hyrule’s royalty to be familiar with the subject. 

“A small one,” he answered. “Nothing of note.” 

She doubted that claim, but it wasn’t in her place to voice that thought. But before she could say anything Hestu’s scream rang through the forest. “Monsters!” Hestu fled back to the group. “Help!” 

“Quickly!” Zelda moved forward. “Hestu is in trouble!” 

The monsters that rose out of the ground were something completely new to Zelda. But she could make a good guess as to what they are. They were strange skeletal monsters that moved with jerking motions and barely reached up to Zelda’s shoulders. Stalkoblins, Zelda recalled the name from her mother’s stories. 

“Break their skull!” Urbosa ordered them. “Do not bother with anything else.” 

Zelda followed the Chieftain’s order as she swiped at the nearest stalkoblin, severing its head from its body. The monster however seemed only vaguely annoyed at her attack as its skull leaped up and down in the air, while its body jerkingly reached down. She stomped down on the skull without thinking, crushing it under her heavy boot. As it shattered into pieces, the monster’s body gave a weak shudder before disappearing into the smoke. 

Keese flew overhead as Zelda cleared out the stalkoblins. Before she could even move to eliminate them, arrows landed on their leery yellow eyes. She didn’t bother to look back to see Revali’s arrogant look. Hopefully, his masterful aim would offer ample support from incoming enemies. 

With the worries of the keese gone, Zelda focused on the skeletal monsters approaching them. Stalkoblins were easier to fight compared to their living kin. Their bodies were fragile and fell with one strike. Despite that advantage, Zelda had to move quickly to destroy the disembodied skulls as the skeletal bodies quickly reformed themselves. 

The Prince’s use of the Sheikah runes had grown stronger than when he first used it in the Breach of Demise. Instead of just being used to scare off the enemies and cause devastating damage, Prince Link used his bombs to create space to advance forward and easily eliminated monsters gathered in high areas. Zelda could only hope that she had improved as well since the Breach of Demise. 

“Korok Forest just up ahead!” Hestu celebrated. “This has been a breeze thanks to you all.” 

Zelda let herself feel a moment of relief as another pathway opened. But the relief was quickly replaced by disgust as she noticed the hazy slush in their way. She recoiled away from it, feeling bitterness form in her mouth. Whatever that was she didn’t want to approach it. 

“This might be the work of the Yiga Clan,” she sighed in exasperation. “They knew we would attempt to go for the Master Sword and left this thing behind.”

“Malice,” the Prince said. “I read about it once. We shouldn’t try approaching it.” 

Hestu let out a sad sound. “But my home is so close…” 

“I know,” Urbosa said comfortingly. “But I am sure we can find a way around this.” 

“Maybe if we look around, we can find something,” Hestu said, perking up in hope. “Come on!” 

It might have been the knowledge of being so close to home or the fact that their forest had been ravaged, but either way, Hestu bravely volunteered to fight against the monsters. Zelda was wary of letting them battle at first, but her worries proved to be unnecessary as Hestu fought the monsters off with their skilled use of Korok magic. Hestu did not need any help but proved themself to be quite a helpful ally. 

More Malice appeared on their pathway as the party traveled deeper into the forest. How the Yiga Clan managed to get their hands on such an awful element, Zelda didn’t know. But she had the sinking suspicion that it wasn’t through natural means. 

She did her best to avoid the disgusting things when she saw it shift. “Well that can’t be good,” she muttered and turned back to warn the others. Before she could warn the others, however, the Malice moved again. She watched in horror as it slowly grew and turned itself into a Goron like creature. No, not just any Goron. “Daruk,” Zelda gasped in horror. 

“What is that?” Mipha blanched at the sight of the doppelganger. 

“An illusion?” Zelda asked uncertainly, looking back to the real Daruk. 

“It doesn’t matter what it is!” Daruk came forward and held up his Boulder Breaker. “It can’t be too good.” 

The Goron proved himself to be right as the Malice moved forward to attack the party. It felt strange to fight against someone that moved so much like her mentor. She had sparred with Daruk several times during her visits to Death Mountain, but there were always the light undertones of fun during the sessions even with Daruk’s necessary strictness. 

But she shouldn’t hesitate just because their adversary was familiar. This doppelganger moved to destroy Zelda and the pilots with the glaring lack of Daruk’s friendly nature. She would not let her guard down and protect the Prince as always. 

In the end, it was Daruk who had landed the killing blow to the Malice being. He grunted in effort as he wearily lifted up his Boulder Breaker. “Well, I never did think I’d have to fight myself.” 

“Do you think there will be more?” Revali asked. “Or more specifically, Malice creations of the rest of us?” 

“If there is one of Revali then I call dibs to destroy it,” Zelda found herself saying before she could stop herself. 

The Rito whipped its head to her with a baleful glare. “I should say the same for yours.” 

“Let us head back for now,” Urbosa interrupted their argument. “Perhaps we can find something new if we can take a new direction.” 

* * *

Zelda was surprised to find the Malice slush had cleared a little now with Daruk’s clone gone. They shared their own theories as to why that is before choosing a new direction and moving forward. 

It didn’t take long for them to find Mipha’s clone created from the Malice. This one was guarded by monsters that the last hadn’t been. However, the party overcame them easily with Mipha’s top-notch healing and prowess in battle. Her trident easily impaled her clone’s and it fell apart. 

“That truly was unpleasant,” Mipha shivered. “It may be unlikely but I hope I won’t have to face a similar thing in the near future.” 

Zelda hoped the same as the party returned to the Korok Forest’s entry. She sighed in relief as she noticed that the Malice slush was only half the size now. 

“Looks like that thingamajig rip-offs of us are connected with this schmuck,” Daruk said. 

“Just two more left then,” Zelda guessed. “We can reach the Master Sword if we defeat the remaining two clones.” 

“Not quite clones,” Urbosa said. “It’s something much less than that.” 

“Did you have something in mind to call them something else?” 

“How about Hollows?” Mipha suggested. “They seemed to be hollow as I impaled it.” 

“Does it matter what we call it?” Revali asked. “As long as we defeat them, it shouldn’t matter.” 

“I am calling them Hollows then,” Zelda said. “It’s better than vague gesturing.” 

No one else made any arguments about the name as they hunted down the remaining Hollows. The last two were guarded by monsters just as Mipha’s Hollow had been though they were in greater numbers. The large numbers only confirmed Zelda’s thoughts as she cut through Revali’s hollow. 

But it remained standing as it lashed out with a deafening screech. She jumped back to dodge a swing from its bow. Fighting short range would be ideal against this one in case it had Revali’s unerring aim. 

As she moved forward to land the last hit, however, an arrow whizzed past her ear and landed cleanly on the Hollow’s head. The creature screeched at its defeat before falling away. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Revali chuckled. “Did I interrupt your little spar?” 

Zelda scowled. “You only managed to land the final bow because of all the damage I gave it.” 

Revali showed very little of the unease that Daruk and Mipha had at killing their Hollow. In fact, he seemed rather pleased at defeating the adversary before Zelda. 

Urbosa’s Hollow proved itself to be a challenge. The Chieftain’s Hollow was quick and deadly with its lighting. Zelda had the extra mind to guard Mipha as well as Prince Link as she met the Hollow’s swing with her shield. That proved to be a mistake as she felt the electricity of the Hollow’s scimitar course through her shield right up to her arm. A cry of pain escaped her as she swung her shield to create a room to escape. Her hand spasmed as she scrambled away from the Hollow, letting the pilots take care of the creature. 

“Zelda!” Mipha dropped beside her, her hand already raised for her healing magic. “Try to relax.” 

“Zelda?” she looked up to find Prince Link frowning at her. The unease increased in her stomach as he dropped down beside her, looking at Mipha inquisitively. 

“She will be fine,” Mipha said. “Just give her a moment.”

Zelda inhaled deeply, trying to will her hands to stop shaking as the cool water surrounded her arm. A shaky gasp escaped her as she flexed her hand. 

“Don’t,” Mipha warned. “The healing process would go a lot quicker if you would relax.” 

She tried to stay still as possible as the other pilots fought the Hollow, her stomach twisting in discomfort. She was the knight of Hyrule, she should be the one fighting in the front lines to protect the Prince and lead them to the Master Sword. But here she was instead, staying behind as her hand twitched and shook out of her control. 

“I am relaxed,” Zelda protested and attempted to move her hand again. She was rewarded with a wave of pain. 

The Zora princess frowned at her as she continued to heal. “Try doing some breathing exercises.” 

Zelda begrudgingly complied as she inhaled deeply. She exhaled sharply as she felt a stab on her hand. “Ow!” 

“I said breathing exercise not holding your breath,” Mipha said firmly. “Honestly, Zelda, you are as reckless as the time you were a kid.” 

“Well  _ excuse  _ me,” Zelda protested as she attempted the breathing exercise again, forcing her body to keep still. “I am not that reckless.”

“Follow after me,” Prince Link suddenly spoke up, gently grabbing her free hand. “Inhale  _ slowly  _ as I count. One, two...” 

Zelda followed after the Prince’s counting, trying to keep it slow. 

“And exhale,” he demonstrated. “Slowly now.” 

She followed after his example, feeling her shoulders drop. He had done this before in Ploymus Mountain to calm her down. While Zelda was grateful for that, she couldn’t help the worry that gnawed at her heart as he approached her instead of running away. 

“All done,” Mipha pulled her hands away. “Is there any pain?” 

Zelda cautiously flexed her hand, moving her fingers. There still was the tingling feeling but no overwhelming pain that left her arm numb. “It’s good, Mipha. Thank you.” The Zora princess flushed at Zelda’s words. “And Your Highness,” Zelda turned to Prince Link. “thank you as well.” 

He gave her a nod before a hideous screech rang through the forest. They had defeated Urbosa’s Hollow. 

“Little one!” Daruk ran forward. “Are you alright?” 

“Just fine,” Zelda stood up. “Mipha patched me up.” 

“Good,” Urbosa nodded. “You put quite a fight, Zelda.”

“I could have continued if it weren’t for that blunder.” 

“Perhaps, but I am sure you will be wiser in the future.” 

Zelda felt herself smile. “I hope so.” 

* * *

With the last Hollow gone, their pathway had been cleared of the Malice. No one was more excited about that than Hestu. 

“Hooray!” The Korok danced. “We did it!” 

But before the rest could join in the celebration, a snarl sounded behind them. Zelda whirled to find a horde of monsters making their way to the party. 

“Go!” Urbosa raised her scimitar. “We will hold them off.” 

Zelda was surprised to find even Hestu lining up to fight against the monsters. She moved forward to join them only to be stopped by Urbosa. 

“Not you,” the chieftain said. “Protect the Prince.” 

She turned back to Prince Link and found him ready to fight as well. The pilots and Hestu can handle the monsters just fine, their main concern should be the Master Sword. “Your Highness,” Zelda grabbed his hand. “Stay beside me.” 

Prince Link hesitated momentarily before allowing himself to be led down the pathway. She only risked a glance back to the other pilots once before continuing her way. She saw the sunlight at the end of the tunnel and relief flickered through her. She couldn’t have spent more than a day in the Korok Forest, but she missed the sunlight. This part of the forest certainly seemed to be safer than the ones that she and the party had to traverse. 

Her relief quickly diminished as she saw a hooded stranger standing in front of the Master Sword. He looked out of place in the friendly environment of the Korok Forest with his dark cape and unnaturally pale white skin. One thing that really made Zelda alert however was the piece of Ancient Sheikah technology that glowed with the same uneasy shade of the Malice that hovered above his open hand. 

Before she could interrogate the stranger, he waved his hand, sending the pink haze of Malice through the air. Zelda shoved the Prince behind her as the haze slowly cleared, revealing all four Hollows of the Divine Beast pilots. 

Zelda turned back to tell the Prince to flee only to have the words die down in terror. Their pathway back to the others had been blocked by the Malice swamp again. 

“Stand back,” she said instead. “Hide if you can, please.” 

Before the Prince could protest, Urbosa’s Hollow moved forward. Zelda easily dodged it’s swipe, only to be met with Mipha’s trident. Arrows rained above, forcing Zelda to move her shield to cover her head. The heavy weapon of Daruk’s Hollow slammed down onto her shield, trying to bat it aside. 

It was too much. They were all coming in from every angle, eager to find an opening in Zelda’s defense. She moved to Daruk’s Hollow first, leaping up as high as she could for an opening. Her sword only met the empty air as the Hollow vanished from her reach. 

She pulled away, raising her shield defensively. The rest of the Hollows have disappeared as well. She whirled to meet Urbosa’s Hollow only to see it vanish before another one appeared in the corners of her vision. Her eyes eventually turned to the mysterious stranger that controlled the Malice. Perhaps, if she beat him—   
His smirk interrupted her thoughts and she whirled back to block a strike from a scimitar. Mipha’s trident came next with a vicious flurry that Zelda barely managed to parry with her sword. Her eyes were drawn away from the adversaries as she watched Revali’s Hollow fly through the air, aiming down at her. 

Her heart stuttered anxiously before she quickly moved away to dodge the bomb arrows. She noticed too late that she was open in this position as a heavy hit from Daruk’s Hollow sent her flying through the forest. Zelda gasped for air as she landed past the mysterious man and away from the Prince. 

“Zelda!” she heard the Link scream as she blinked rapidly to focus her eyes. She reached for her broadsword only to find that it has been shattered to pieces. 

The stranger didn’t bother to look at her as he slowly raised one hand. “Kill him.” 

The Hollows obeyed their master as they moved forward, their weapons glinting wickedly from the sunlight. The Prince’s eyes however stayed on Zelda. 

“No!” Zelda screamed, reaching out a hand in a vain hope that she would be able to protect him somehow. But it was impossible. What could she possibly do against the four beings of the Malice?

A soft melody rang through the air followed by a blinding blue light. The Hollows fell apart as the holy light reached them, disappearing like a nightmare. Zelda slowly turned back to the source of the light to find the Master Sword glowing. The soft melody continued to ring through the air. 

_ Come. _

Zelda moved forward to the sword without thinking. She wrapped her hands around the hilt and pulled. It reacted to her tug before becoming still again. 

She pulled again, her knuckles turning white from the effort. The sword jerked with her movement, though it still remained embedded on its pedestal. Adjusting her grip slightly, Zelda grit her teeth and yanked the sword again. 

_ I must protect everyone! I must protect  _ him _! _

The sword gave away to her pull and came out free with a soft metal ring. Zelda held the sword aloft for a moment before smiling. She turned back to the stranger, wielding the blade with a purpose. 

“You who have defiled this forest,” she said, her voice echoing with the Master Sword. “And threatened our lives, answer for your crimes!” 

The stranger faltered before snarling. “No! I will not let you abscond with the Master Sword alive!” 

The hollows reappeared at the man’s summons, showing no reaction to their earlier demise. 

Zelda moved forward to attack without hesitation. The Master Sword was light in her grip and yet so balanced. She swung in an arc of light and swung again. The holy blade sang with each swing, determined to end that man’s misdeed. 

The Hollow’s forms fell away weakly as each one of Zelda’s strikes landed. They grunted as Zelda relentlessly chased after them. The light cut through their hazy form effortlessly, leaving visible damage. 

She heard a loud explosion and turned back to find Link fighting as well. He sent an array of bombs without hesitation and assisted Zelda in any way he can. She shot him a smile before turning back to her adversaries. 

As the last of the Hollow fell apart from the Master Sword, Zelda turned back to the man. “It’s over, traitor,” she growled. “Answer for your crimes now!” 

But the stranger only laughed at Zelda’s words. The Sheikah part flashed with the haze of the Malice as he manically smiled down at her. “Do you not know who I am?” 

“Am I supposed to?” 

The stranger grinned. “I am Astor, The Prophet of Doom and the one who called for Calamity Ganon’s revival.” 

Prince Link gasped behind her in horror. “You…” 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Zelda argued. “You foresaw the rise of Calamity Ganon and you try to kill His Highness and the pilots? They are the only hope of stopping that thing!” 

“Destiny is already set in stone,” Astor said. “And yet, you disrespect the flow of time and attempt to rewrite it.  _ That’s  _ madness.” 

Zelda thought of the data from the little guardian’s memory. The fire and the destruction set upon innocent civilians. “We  _ will  _ rewrite it. If that was our destiny, then it shall not come to pass.” 

The seer let out a disgusted noise. “Your arrogance is why you must be punished, you nuisance. I will carry it out by ending you here myself!” 

Zelda quickly deflected the pieces of Malice sent towards her. As she moved to strike him down, he ducked down and slammed his hand to the ground. Zelda dodged away from Malice before moving forward again. 

The prophet met her eyes and raised his hands up in the air. But before he could do anything, a metal clang sounded through the air and froze the prophet within time. Zelda looked back to find Prince Link with the raised Sheikah Slate. 

_ The stasis rune,  _ Zelda thought. _ Brilliant. _

She rained down a flurry of attacks onto the petrified prophet, making sure every hit counted. She continued to attack as much as she dared even as the rune fell away from Astor. As she raised her sword to land another hit, the prophet raised his hands in the air again. 

She only had a moment to jump away from the sphere of haze that enveloped the prophet. The pattern of constellations appeared and disappeared with the prophet. 

She turned to Prince Link, hoping that Astor wouldn’t use the cowardly method of striking the Prince down. But Astor merely appeared several feet ahead of her with a scowl. 

“Curse you,” the prophet spat as he raised his arms up. A protective barrier raised among him followed by more Hollows of the pilots. Zelda only felt a mild irritation as she cut through Revali’s Hollow. Surprisingly, the Hollow fell apart from that one strike followed by the others. 

_ He’s getting weaker _ , Zelda realized. _ Just a little longer. _

She quickly moved back to Astor as Daruk’s Hollow was destroyed. The prophet’s look of hatred grew as he raised his hands to summon more Malice. But before he could complete the spell, Prince Link used his stasis rune again, trapping the prophet in time. 

Astor’s look of hatred turned to Prince Link as the stasis rune fell away from him. But he would not be able to do anything with Zelda still in the fight. 

Back and forth the battle continued in a similar fashion. Astor would summon a wave of Malice to hinder Zelda but with Prince Link’s support and the Master Sword’s power, Zelda maintained the upper hand in the battle. 

She leaped up into the air and swung her sword down, adding her weight into the hit. Astor raised his hand to protect himself but was too late as the Master Sword cut him across the chest, leaving a thin bloody line behind. 

The prophet screamed in pain and clutched his wound. “You wench! Curse you!” 

“Yield!” Zelda ordered. “The fight is over.” 

Astor glared balefully at Zelda, his hand reaching for his cape. “This fight is. But the war has just begun. I will look forward to your demise,  _ Hero _ .” 

“Stop!” Zelda came forward but was too late. The prophet disappeared in a flash of light, withdrawing from the fight. “Coward.”

“Zelda…” 

She turned back to the Prince, her thoughts catching up on her. She had been too caught up in defeating the prophet that she had forgotten about her original duty. “Are you hurt?” 

“No,” The Prince waved off her concerns, his eyes going to the Master Sword. “How…?”

Zelda looked down at the blade and reality slammed into her at once. The sword that seals the darkness allowed her to wield it. Zelda was the knight that seals the darkness. She is meant to face the Calamity Ganon with Prince Link and the pilots of the Divine Beast. It was her destiny to save Hyrule.

“I…” Zelda stammered, her mind whirling in confusion. “I don’t…” 

A loud yawn interrupted her. Zelda looked up to find Koroks flying through the air, giggling merrily. What really amazed her was the large tree moving slightly with a low creak.

“All is well,” the great tree spoke. “The sword you hold is the key to defeating the Calamity — to sealing the darkness.” 

Her whirling mind managed to remember the name of the being. “Great Deku Tree.” 

“Young hero,” the Great Deku Tree continued. “You have been chosen by the sword to wield its power and vanquish the Calamity.” 

She slightly raised the blade up, studying its details. The Master Sword was the stuff of fairy tales and bedtime stories when she was just a child. Her father would tell her how the Golden Goddess created the blade and gifted it to the hero for his bravery and courage. As she grew, it was something of a far off hope that meant the safety of Hyrule. She had spent countless nights wondering what the knight that seals the darkness was going to be like and whether she knew them already or not. But never did she think that she was the one destined to wield the sword. After all, she is a nobody. 

“And you, Prince,” the Deku Tree said. Zelda turned to find him staring down at his hand with an uneasy frown. “Do not lose hope. The path would be open for you soon.” 

His words seemed to comfort the Prince a little as he gave a stiff nod. 

The Great Deku Tree yawned. “Forgive me. A deep slumber beckons, and even I could not refuse.” Zelda heard quiet footsteps but did not bother to look back to face the pilots. “You have all that is needed to face whatever destiny awaits. Hyrule’s fate … is in your hands...” 

The Master Sword seemed to gain weight at the Deku Tree’s words in Zelda’s hands. 

Zelda slowly turned to face the pilots, trying to school her face to one of neutrality. 

Daruk looked absolutely ecstatic with the Master Sword in her hand. Her mentor was always eager to assist her no matter what. This revelation made a little difference with an exception to the raised stakes. 

Mipha looked torn between joy and alarm. Zelda had reacted the same when she heard that she was the first choice to pilot Vah Ruta against Calamity Ganon. But at least she can fight alongside Mipha now. 

Revali looked as if he ate a rotten fish and was still tasting its moldy flesh. He leered at the sword before turning to Zelda. As their eyes met, he gave a little huff and looked away with crossed wings. What he thought was obvious. 

Urbosa was the only one who wasn’t looking at Zelda. Her eyes were on Prince Link with a slight frown. Zelda couldn’t decipher what she was thinking. 

Frankly, she couldn’t decipher what she herself was thinking. She was dismayed when she was called and seen as a nobody. But with the sword, that was no longer true. She was a Child of Destiny born to fight against Calamity Ganon. And yet, she still felt like a nobody.

She spoke of rewriting fate before battling with Astor, eager to prove him and the little guardian’s vision wrong. But by saying that, Zelda had acknowledged that their original destiny had doomed them to fail Hyrule. The Master Sword grew heavier again in her hands, starkly, contrasting the well-balanced blade that Zelda had used to force Astor into fleeing. 

Perhaps their source of failure came from the fact that the Master Sword chose a nobody instead of an actual hero. That Zelda was the one who failed by falling to the Calamity. 

_ “...you have a lot more people to disappoint...” _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are welcome!


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